Left Hand
by xXfireXflyXx
Summary: Eilwen Bancouhr wanted nothing more than to have actual political power within the senate. When life takes a detour, and she finds herself not reaching her full potential, she stoops to new levels to make her dream a reality.
1. Youth Group

**Hello all! Welcome to my second Star Wars fiction. **

**Now, I'm going say a few things first before you start reading. First, I'm not extremely deep in the SW-fiction world. I don't read the extra novels, so I don't know every other little detail that has gone on between movies and all that. I'm referring to the Wookipedia site for help whenever I need it. **

**Second, this is going to be a somewhat OC/Palpatine fic. It's not a heavy romance-type thing, but there are going to be relations between them. A warning in advance. Don't like it, don't read it. There are several other relationships to be explored too, but slightly more canon. Those would be Padme/Anakin, Obi-Wan/Siri Tachi (though **_**very**_** briefly), and then some OC/various other OCs.**

**That being said, and you're still sticking around, I hope you enjoy! I haven't done a SW fic seriously yet, and I want to do it justice. Helpful comments, reviews, and anything else are always appreciated. I always love hearing back from readers! Much love!**

**Also, these first few chapters will do a few time jumps just to establish some background. I'll let you know when the actual 'present day' of the story starts. **

* * *

><p>Eilwen Bancouhr hated most things about flying. She hated the sensation of taking off, the way the shuttle rocked back and forth during the flight, and the horrible jerking feeling when it came to a stop on the ground. In large transport ships, this was seldom a problem, if ever. However, the small private vessel that she found herself on proved to be more of a problem. Taking a deep breath, she had to forcefully remind herself that it would be worth it in the end. How many members of the Legislative Youth Program actually got to leave Naboo to see a senate hearing in action? None… She and her companions would be the first.<p>

Her green eyes traveled around the small room. There were eight of them leaving the planet, and all eight of them were highly competitive individuals. Naturally, no one else would have voluntarily gone into politics if they were not. Six males, two females, all human and under the age of sixteen. Eilwen, a blond, tall girl from the city of Moenia, was the second oldest of the whole group. There were none present younger than seven and at the grand age of thirteen, she had a confidence about her that she felt was justified. After all, she hailed from aristocracy. The girl happened to be one of the brightest in her studies, and was currently at the top of the list to go into further political activities when she finished with her mandatory time in the youth program. There were maybe two others in her group that were set up for the same path, but she had hoped to outshine them when the time was right.

It wasn't as though the girl did not like her companions. In fact, most of them were her good friends. They had all gone through the same schooling together, and now they were in the same branch of their youth program, intent on serving the public in any way necessary. However, Eilwen knew what happened to the majority of the people in the youth programs once they were finished. Jobs were given to them on Naboo, they worked hard there, and settled down to a rather dull existence on the planet where they had always lived. She had never wanted that for herself. After her eldest brother was taken away by the Jedi when he was six, and she only four, Eilwen knew there was more to life than what Naboo had to offer.

Now, she loved her planet. She could not have gotten into a public service position if she did not feel it in her soul that she ought to help the people around her. Perhaps it ran in the family. Her father was a university professor who lived to teach, and her mother was a healer. She only had one other sibling, and he had been training in the Jedi temple on Coruscant for many years now. He had come back to visit occasionally, and she had met his master once. While he was still her brother, he had gone on to a better life now. It was different and more satisfying than anything she could ever achieve on Naboo, and they both knew it. Perhaps it was jealousy, and perhaps it was her love for competition, but Eilwen sought a way to help more people than he ever could dream of. She wanted to make real galactic altering decisions that would affect the galaxy, not just her district's legislature.

Now, in order to do that, she knew there was only one thing to do; endure her hatred for flying long enough to get to Coruscant and find someone that might help her on her political path to glory. Well, not glory, but something that would give her a jumpstart in the political arena. If she wanted to make big changes, she needed to be a big player, and that had to start now. After all, there were rumours that a girl her age was going to run for queen of Naboo once Veruna retired/abdicated/whatever kings did when it was time to call it quits. If someone her age could rule a planet, she had no reason to slack off when it came to her political career.

"Back in your seats," came the voice of their group's leader, Batu, as she swept into the room and ushered some of the younger ones back to their assigned seats near the windows. "We will be approaching the planet's atmosphere momentarily. Please be sure you are buckled in."

Eilwen tightened her belt across her hips, which had never loosened for the entire trip. She then prodded her companion, Olig, awake with a poke. The younger boy, her partner for the trip, jerked awake and sat up, black eyes wide with fright. She smirked as his cheeks flushed a dull crimson, and then pointed out their small window, "We're close to the planet… Make sure your seatbelt is done properly."

"I wasn't talking in my sleep, was I?" the dark-haired boy inquired as he did up the buckle noisily. She shook her head, and he let out a sigh of relief, "Good."

"Do you frequently talk in your sleep?" she asked, her tone riddled with the air of superiority from both age and birthright. Olig shifted, no doubt sensing her arrogance, and then shrugged. He was never one that was good with his vocabulary. Without another word, she turned to gaze out the window. Coruscant looked nothing like Naboo from the outside. Naboo looked like the countryside, with bright swirls of clouds, greens and blues, while Coruscant was dark, but vibrant, like the inner core of any good city. The very appearance of it gave her chills, and as the small ship broke through the atmosphere – somewhat violently, mind you – Eilwen felt at home. Two ships pulled up on either side of theirs, and her professor explained they were security, there to transport them safely to the Senatorial Sector of the planet. The very name made her grin, and she nearly had her face pressed against the glass to take in every detail of the city as they approached.

Skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. Insane traffic navigating around the buildings. What sort of mysteries lay in the planet's dark allies? It was so different from Naboo that it made her head spin. No streets lined with trees, or glorious blue waters with idyllic bridges over them. No, this was where change happened. This was where people were gritty, dangerous, but intelligent and thoughtful at the same time. This was exactly the kind of place Eilwen wanted to be, and she knew that she needed to do whatever it took to be here. Her brother was so lucky to live here on a full-time basis.

She spotted the landing platform before the pilot announced it through the intercom system, and the small girl braced for a rough landing. However, the pilot skilfully manoeuvred the sleek ship down so that there was barely a disturbance in the flow of the flight. Pleased, Eilwen released the breath she had been holding, and then unbuckled her seatbelt. Now that they were there, she wanted to get off this hunk of steel and gears and start exploring the actual senate. She had been waiting for this for months –years, it seemed – and she didn't want to waste a single second more of it on this blasted ship. The girl nearly toppled over Olig on her way toward the door, barely listening as the aged voice of their keeper told them the rules of this field trip. Do not wander off. Do not be rude to the senators. Do not stare; people will look different here. Speak when spoken to, unless it is the specified question and answer period with Naboo's senator, Palpatine. Do not get in the way of security issues. Blah, blah, blah. It was all pretty standard, and it was the exact same thing they had all been told before they left Naboo.

Eilwen nodded anxiously, her eyes darting back over the children who were taking their damn time to gather their cloaks and things from the seat. Honestly, didn't they want to be out there as much as she did? Batu counted everyone once, and then ordered them to get into their partner pairs, which were coincidentally going to be the people they had been seated with for the flight. Eilwen looked through the crowd, her height an advantage over the shorter pupils, and then spotted Olig at the back. She beckoned him forward, but he seemed hesitant. The boy never liked to be up front for anything. He hated all eyes on him, and had previously expressed a fear – not to her, but to another boy in their group – about Batu calling on him to answer a question in front of everyone. Weakness. How could anyone in the political group fear public speaking?

Her eyes narrowed at him and she waved him forward irritably, but he shook his head. Sighing, Eilwen relinquished her spot at the front to join her predetermined partner at the back of the crowd. She towered over him, her arms crossed as she shot him a glare. His cheeks tinted.

"Sorry," he muttered, "but I just _know_ she's going to call on me today."

Eilwen arched an eyebrow as she eyed Batu. The woman was in her late forties, greying hair already. She had sharp, quick eyes that seemed to spot anything out of place, and her voice could crack like a whip across a room of noisy children. Both frightening and professional, Eilwen had a great deal of respect for someone who dedicated their life to training hopeful youths for their future careers. Olig, unfortunately, couldn't see past her ability to make children melt into a quivering mess whenever she scolded them. Ah well, it was his loss, really.

"I think she's given up on you, actually," Eilwen commented, a hint of disgust in her tone. "So you're probably going to be fine from now on."

"I…" he started, and then frowned dejectedly. "Oh."

"Quiet," Batu snapped, causing Olig to flush once again. "_Stay_ with your partners and be respectful of our tour guides. However, don't be afraid to ask questions when it's appropriate."

Ha. Appropriate, eh? Eilwen planned to ask as many questions as possible whenever she could. Unlike some people here, she wasn't going to waste this opportunity. She rubbed her hands together eagerly, and then pulled Olig along as the group departed out the main flight centre, and then down the exit ramp. Eilwen took a deep breath, savouring her first scent of Coruscant air. It smelled like fuel and smoke, and the humidity made her feel like she was literally walking into a wall. Perhaps humidity was too strong a word, but the air was incredibly thick here compared to her countryside home in Naboo. While the country was undoubtedly the perfect vacation spot, Eilwen found herself drawn further into Coruscant with every deep breath she took.

A small group of people were waiting for them on the landing platform, two of which were aliens. She wrinkled her nose at them; anything other than humanoids tended to make her just a little bit uncomfortable, no doubt from the failed dealings between Naboo humans and the native Gungans. Regardless, for today, she was going to put her discomfort aside. After all, they were the ones who could be her gateway into the politic world, if she played her cards right. There were five of them there, three humans and two aliens, but none of them were Senator Palpatine. She had only seen Naboo's senator a few times at public events, but she was sure that the pair of elderly women and young, aristocratic male were not Palpatine. From what she remembered, the man was lean, average height, human, with sandy-red hair and kind eyes. He was always smiling in the promotional pictures, and seemed very pleasant whenever he did public speaking from the capitol. They were going to meet him at some point, but she had hoped he would have been on the platform to greet them.

She listened with rapt attention as the group welcomed them to the planet. They were all, apparently, very pleased that the youth group had made the trek from Naboo for the tour, and it was going to be an exciting day filled with lots to see. They did an introductory speech to the Senate district, pointed out the main buildings they would be exploring, and introduced themselves individually. They were all elected officials from the Chommelsystem, which consisted of various other planets aside from Naboo. None, however, were senators. One was an assistant, two were governors, and the remaining two worked in the administration of various departments. Eilwen frowned. She had really been hoping to meet a senator from the start of this, but perhaps she was just too impatient.

Despite Olig's murmured protests, Eilwen grasped his hand and dragged him through the small group to a position closer to the front once they were on the move. She wasn't about to let his shyness ruin the day she had been looking forward to for months. As they made their way toward a circular set of double doors, she took one last look at the Galactic City's bright lights. Advertisements screamed at her from their shifting hologram posts, and various speeders whizzed around in traffic. How they all knew where to fly without roadways or lines was completely beyond her, but she was sure once she lived here, she would understand the pulse of the city. The sun would set soon, though it hardly seemed to matter. The clouds were so thick for as far as Eilwen could see that she didn't really believe that the sun had any effect on a planet that was, really, one giant industrial city.

Batu had shifted to the back of the group, much to Olig's displeasure, and let the senatorial tour guides lead the group into the first building. It was full of offices and chambers, and they were using it to demonstrate what politicians of all ranks did, and where they worked, while employed on Coruscant. Despite the fact that most of the offices of the lower level workers looked the same, Eilwen made sure she took in each one with careful detail. After all, these were the types of places she would begin her career in, and there shouldn't be any surprises. From there, the group got to see some conference rooms, the cafeteria, the main security lounge, and even chat with a pair of passing senators from the Outer Rim on their way to a meeting. Eilwen listened intently the entire time, though she would occasionally find herself irritated with the way that Olig went beet red when a senator looked at him, or how uncouth he was with his shuffling feet and cracking knuckles.

Honestly, even when she was his age she wasn't that embarrassing. At least the rest of the people in their youth group were a bit better. They had insightful questions, and chatted contently with one another as they walked from place to place. It wasn't as though Eilwen wasn't friends with any of them; she just had her mind on more important matters. They could talk on the ride home. That, however, was another three or four hours away.

From there, the group stopped for a quick bite to eat on the main streets between some of the buildings, and were then on their way to have a tour of the senate building itself. When Eilwen was inside, it was like walking on hallowed ground. One day she would be there, and she was sure there would be little girls like her clamouring after her for advice and further words of wisdom, but she had yet to decide whether she would give it or not. The building itself was just lovely. High ceilings, fountains, paintings, columns… It was all just perfect. There was a hearing in session, and Chancellor Valorum had, apparently, not given the children permission to sit in for very long. However, they were granted a very quick look in to see the hundreds of pods that lined the domed room, some with senators, some empty. It clearly wasn't a very important hearing if there were so many people missing, Eilwen had assumed as they were ushered away.

It was a lot of walking before the group found themselves being led toward the main entrance hall of the large building. From what Eilwen understood, they only had one or two sights left to see before they did a general tour of the main districts via shuttle, and then it was back to Naboo. It all seemed to fly by so quickly, which was a saddening thought.

"Ah," came the voice of one of their tour guides, pulling Eilwen from her acute funk, "just the man we were hoping to see. Senator Palpatine!"

Eilwen's eyes darted in the direction that the younger human senator waved at, and she felt herself smile excitedly. Here was the sage. Here was the man with the relatable wisdom to guide her toward her future career in politics.

"Senator Antilles," Palpatine greeted when he approached the group, a pile of folders tucked under his left arm as he shook the man's hand, "I promise I hadn't forgotten. I became tied up with some Federation agents in my office, unfortunately."

"I never doubted your commitment, my friend," the senator stated, a smile on his face. "Our work is never finished, it seems."

"Not even for a moment," Palpatine remarked in return. Eilwen looked him up and down quickly. Garbed in traditional dress of the Naboo elite, the man, no doubt in his late forties, looked every bit as pleasant as he appeared to be during rallies and public events back home.

"Sadly, it remains unfinished," the man continued as he looked all the pupils over once, "and I cannot devote as much time as I would have liked to my country folk today."

"We understand, Senator," Batu insisted, her hand on Olig's shoulder suddenly. The boy flinched, but kept his eyes on the ground. "We might only ask for a moment of your time, as it is so precious."

"Naturally," Palpatine agreed with a nod, a smile on his face as he addressed the group. "Welcome to Coruscant. I hope everything that you have seen today will entice you into a life of politics. Though it is never-ending, I believe it is some of the most rewarding work you will ever do. Work hard, get exceptional marks in your studies, and do as much public service as you can. You serve the people, but the people must know you before you can serve."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Senator Antilles admitted cheerfully. "Thank you for your time. We don't wish to keep you from your business."

"The pleasure was mine," Palpatine said curtly, and he gave the group a slight bow. "I wish you all the best of luck with your future endeavours, and hope to see you in the halls of the senate in the near future."

Eilwen watched as the tour guides bid their farewell to the Senator, just as Batu did, and then as quickly as it all started, the man was gone. She stared at his retreating figure blankly; that was it? All this waiting, and he said the same things all her teachers had been telling her for years… ever since she expressed an interest in politics. It was like they all had a script to read off of for hopeful youngsters. Did no one else realize this was so incredibly disappointing? She glanced around the group, but they all seemed content to follow the tour guides as they turned the group around, and carried on toward the exit. She remained still, and only looked up when Olig tugged at the sleeve of her robe.

"Come on," he urged quietly as he nodded toward the group. Instead, she shook her head and walked in the opposite direction as quickly as she could, following in the wake of Palpatine. Batu didn't seem to notice, and Eilwen got quite a ways down the hall before she felt a pull at her arm again.

"What do you want?" she snapped at Olig, her eyes narrowing at his as she continued to walk.

"We aren't supposed to lose our partners," he explained half-heartedly. "What are _you_ doing?"

"That can't be all he has to say," she explained hurriedly as the pair jogged up a staircase, his eyes still on Palpatine's figure. "We came all this way…"

She picked up her pace when she saw the man go round a corner, and when she realized they were alone in the small corridor, she called out his name. Much to her surprise, he stopped and turned around, a look of confusion on his face for a moment.

"We came all the way from Naboo to talk to you," Eilwen rambled as she hurried closer to him. "That can't be all the advice you have. It was so… generic."

She could feel Olig's eyes on her, and she knew she was overstepping her boundaries just a little being so bold with a renowned senator. However, she felt like her inquisition was just.

The senator studied her for a moment, and then smirked, "I am sorry my speech was not uplifting enough for you, but I save my real advice for people who will actually one day become politicians."

Her jaw dropped, "I beg your pardon? I fully intend on becoming a senator one day!"

"Do you now?" he inquired gently, her eyes matching his defiantly. "What is your name?"

"Eilwen Bancouhr," she replied. "I'm from Moenia-"

"Daughter of Professor Kryog and Belladonna Bancouhr?" Palpatine asked, an eyebrow arching. She nodded, and he took a step toward her. "Then you come from nobility. You shouldn't despair… Life will not be boring for you, but I don't see you becoming a senator."

"But you don't even know me!" she argued.

"There are dozens of people in your youth program," he explained smoothly. "How many of them serve with me in the senate?"

She swallowed thickly and racked her brain to think of any recent graduates who had moved on to bigger things on Coruscant. However, Olig reached the conclusion before she did, "None."

"Right you are, my boy," Palpatine chuckled. "Your program prepares you well for a life of political service, but not the kind you want. Because your line is noble, I suspect you will end up working in the palace under the next king or queen-"

"I would never be a chambermaid," Eilwen snapped indignantly. "This is where I belong!"

"You can argue like a senator, but I will break the harsh reality to you now… You'll never be able to use that tongue of yours here. An older, more suited candidate will be chosen should my administration wish to take on someone now. And if not, when I retire, a younger, fresh-faced student will be waiting in the wings, while you will be entrenched in some gratifying career on Naboo. Do not fret, I'm sure it will be… rewarding."

Before she could muster up a response, both children heard their names being called, and they turned back to see Batu storming toward them, clearly upset.

"I told you both not to wander from the group," she snapped, her eyes flashing as she grabbed them both by the material of their robes at the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Senator. You know how inquisitive children can be."

"Not a problem," Palpatine insisted with a wave of his hand. "I always enjoy giving people an insight to their future careers… Some need help getting pointed in the right direction."

"Of course," Batu remarked absently. "We don't wish to keep you."

She gave him a slight bow, and then dragged the pair down the hallway, admonishing them verbally as they went. Eilwen cast a look over her shoulder one last time to glare at Palpatine; she'd show him. She'd show all of them that this was _exactly_ where she belonged.


	2. Handmaiden

Eilwen clutched the armrests of her seat as the Nubian royal starship rocked back and forth violently in hyperspace. She slipped a finger between her head wrap and chin, and then readjusted the orange fabric slightly. It seemed that, despite her psychiatrist's reassurances to her parents, her fear of flying only seemed to increase with age. It had been a year since she and her youth group had visited Coruscant, and what an eventful year it was. Shortly after they returned, a young girl named Padmé Amidala was elected to replace their previous king. She proved to be very popular with the people, but Eilwen's father frequently expressed a concern that her political platform was not her own, but one of her advisor's, only because of her age.

However, despite her father's slight disapproval of the new queen, he still put forth Eilwen's name to be considered as one of her new handmaidens. Out of nearly one hundred girls from various noble lineages around the planet, Eilwen was chosen, along with six other young girls her age, to serve her new royal highness in the capital and live in the palace. While it upgraded her family's status in their social circles, Eilwen was privately crushed. She had nothing against the queen, who turned out to be a just ruler and an exceptionally fair mistress, but this was not where she had wanted to be. As she marched behind the queen during her first public parade with the other handmaidens, dressed in fine silks and elegant hairstyles, Eilwen could hear those dismal words of Senator Palpatine in her head, and they stung venomously.

She watched as a few of her old schoolmates, all boys, went off to serve in federal and state legislatures, all the while Eilwen served in the royal house. All of their names were shortened for their new position, and Eilwen was now called Elwé during public affairs, and anything that had to do with her job. Most of the court officials only knew the girls by their servant names, though Amidala occasionally switched back and forth between their birth names and their new ones. She had an uncanny ability to gauge who preferred their court names to their birth names – some of which were dreadful – and the young monarch was gracious enough to respect that in private. In fact, she was an exceptional young woman, this new queen. Even though they had only known each other a year, Eilwen was very fond of her. She had never served anyone in her life, but she was pleased to start with a woman so undemanding and graceful as Amidala.

Now, there were definitely some perks to be a royal handmaiden. All the girls were trained in combat, including weaponry and physical assault. The leader of the palace's security, Captain Panaka, had an undying protective streak when it came to Amidala's safety, and put all the girls, the queen included, through very rigorous training drills to ensure that, at any moment, one of the handmaidens could step in to defend the queen should her life be at risk. It was a big responsibility, and each girl took it very seriously. Panaka was also responsible for the decoy system introduced to the monarchy. All the girls looked quite similar to Amidala, except for Eilwen. They were all roughly the same height, but Eilwen was the only blonde to start with fair eyes. They dyed her hair the moment she arrived to the palace, and she had been a brunette for about five months now. It was a little depressing, especially since Sabé was the chosen girl to replace Amidala should a decoy ever be needed. They had gone through several training drills with Sabé as the queen, and Amidala known as Padmé, merely another handmaiden. They were all very successful, and fooled countless court advisors, but the girls, all of them, still had weekend retreats to Theed's countryside to ensure they were one hundred percent efficient in all of these matters.

Although she considered Panaka a little too overprotective on some occasions, all their training became useful during the Trade Federation's sudden blockade of the planet. Eilwen always tried to be one of the few girls who would wait on Amidala during meetings so she could understand the nature of the conflict, but she was not always that lucky. The handmaidens worked together to try and understand what was happening to their planet, and soon begged the queen to be enlightened. They all knew what a heavy burden she bore, being a fresh queen in the midst of a crisis, and wanted to ease her suffering in any way necessary. Essentially, the Trade Federation was blocking the neutral planet of Naboo in response to the senate's new tax on intergalactic trade routes. While the tax, from what she understood, was very steep, and she could understand some frustration, Eilwen did not see the merit in blockading an entire planet. She never struggled much within the palace, but she knew supplies were now limited to her family, and she, along with all the girls, fretted for their general well-being daily.

Panaka and the governor informed Amidala and her handmaidens that they could not stay on the planet, and Amidala agreed that it was time to bring this matter before the Galactic Senate. However, they could not get off the planet without facing the Federation's fire. When the true danger of their situation was realize, Sabé and Amidala switched places, and from that point on, the queen worked among them. It seemed as though that was in the nick of time too; shortly after, the Trade Federation invaded, and the capital was captured. The Trade Federation's agents were horribly ugly creatures, and Eilwen visibly grimaced every time she saw them. Mercifully, she did not have to endure them for long. She was chosen, along with three other handmaidens, to accompany the queen to Coruscant. Eilwen wasn't particularly sure why, though she had a sinking suspicion it was because she was one of the best with a gun, aside from Sabé, and she and Amidala had grown quite close over the past few months.

Their escape from the planet was aided by two Jedi, who had been sent by the Senate to ensure the queen's utmost safety. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, his apprentice, were excellent at taking charge of the situation, but Eilwen knew Panaka would have issues with them fully taking over security. The older of the Jedi seemed to understand this, and was very careful not to overstep his boundaries, but did enough to make sure that the queen's well-being was the priority. Eilwen saw how much it pained the queen to leave her people in a lurch, almost as much as it did for Eilwen to leave her family behind without knowing what their situation was. However, they all knew deep in their hearts that leaving the planet was the best situation for everyone, especially for the queen to keep her from signing a treaty with the Federation.

Unfortunately, Eilwen nearly had a heart-attack leaving the planet. The Trade Federation had no intention of letting them go, but somehow their barely armed royal cruiser managed to give the Federation the slip, though they did sustain heavy damages in the process. Amidala was concerned for her during the flight, and was constantly checking in on her from her seat until they were in the clear. Unfortunately, the ship was forced to land on a small, Outer Rim planet called Tatooine to repair the ship. Padmé joined Qui-Gon, the Gungan Jar-Jar Binks, and an R2 droid to get the parts, and the group were gone for nearly two and a half days. Panaka and the other handmaidens were terribly worried while she was gone, though they knew their Jedi master would keep her safe. And that he did; they returned in one piece, with stories of podraces and slave trades from Padmé for the rest of the handmaidens to listen to. They brought back a young boy with them, one who reminded her of Olig at his age, but fairer. His name was Anakin Skywalker, and apparently Qui-Gon had an interest in bringing him to Coruscant for some potential Jedi training. He was a very shy boy with the other handmaidens, and Eilwen did not have much contact with him after take-off. With the ship repaired, the crew was back on their way to Coruscant.

The other girls knew very well of Eilwen's fear of flying, but she hated talking about it. It was a weakness she generally did not like sharing with others, mostly because she did not want their pity. All the other girls were so very talented; they could speak a plethora of other languages, along with other skills that Eilwen could only dream to have. Yes, she was talented with a blaster, athletic, and spoke one other language – Huttesse, like Sabé – but she knew there were other girls out there that were also gifted in those areas; they could all be replaced in a heartbeat. If the queen had not valued their friendship so much, she was sure Panaka would have replaced her some time ago. Therefore, like a few other girls, she kept her faults, which included her smug nature, fear of flying, and alien dislike, close to her chest.

Currently, the other girls were either tending to duties around the ship, or getting a bit of shut-eye before they arrived on the planet. Eilwen was in one of the larger conference rooms alone, shackled to her seat with her nails deep in the armrest. She heard the door slide open behind her, and when she looked back around the high top of her chair, Eilwen smiled lightly to greet the arrival of her new visitor.

"Jedi Master," she greeted pleasantly, and then forced herself to rise from her seat. "Do you need the room?"

"Oh no, no," he laughed, and urged her to sit back down. "Please, just Obi-Wan. I'm not a master yet."

Eilwen nodded and gratefully slumped back down into her seat, her hands resuming their former position on the armrests. He took the seat across from her at the thin conference table, and then slid a glass of obscure white liquid across the metal surface.

"I noticed you seem to dislike flying," he commented.

"A little bit of an understatement, I think," Eilwen laughed weakly, somewhat distressed that her hatred for being onboard ships was so apparent. "It's manageable so long as I am permitted to sit."

"I've never particularly liked flying either," Obi-Wan admitted, running a hand through his short, cropped brown hair. "My master taught me how to brew this concoction a few years ago… I've always found it calms the nerves."

"Oh…" she said slowly, surprised that he had come here on a mission to make her feel better. "That's very kind of you, thank you."

"It doesn't really get better with age," he remarked as she brought the drink close to her nose to smell, "but I think we grow up a little, and accept it. For now, I think you're allowed to settle for the drink."

Eilwen chuckled feebly again, and then took a quick sip. It was remarkably sweet, and tasted a great deal like sugared water. As she did so, her eyes did a quick scan of the Jedi before her. He wasn't much older than she was, perhaps in his mid to late teens, but he had very kind eyes, and a soothing voice. Perhaps it was because her nerves were fried from flying, but she did enjoy listening to him talk. They had not had much interaction throughout the flight. Obi-Wan spoke privately with the handmaidens as a group to try to understand the queen better, and they gave him snippets of information regarding their love for her, but also their love for her privacy. He was very polite, good posture, and mediated frequently. Aside from that, he had caught her when she fell during the initial escape from Naboo, which was a bit embarrassing, but he didn't spend much time asking if she was all right, which she appreciated.

"Are you excited to go back to Coruscant?" she inquired after a few calming breaths, and some more of his miracle drink. Already she could feel her muscles relaxing.

He shrugged a little, "I suppose. I do not know much of the planet itself… Most of my time there was spent in the Jedi temple."

"My brother is a Jedi," Eilwen informed him, sensing that they had something in common by her brother's profession. "I bet he's your age, maybe a little younger… He was taken for training when I was very young."

"As we all are," he commented with a nod.

"Maybe you know him!" she thought suddenly, "His name is Eurig Bancouhr… I… I can't remember his Jedi name…"

"We don't go by our family names, unfortunately," Obi-Wan explained, "but I'm sure I do know him, if we are close in age."

"Baneu …" she muttered, trying to recall the ridiculous name he had been given instead of his own. "Baneu Kimoe… That was the name he was given! Do you know him?"

Obi-Wan smiled, "Actually, I do. He was in the padawan training group beneath me by about two years… He is said to be a very good fighter, though a little …"

He trailed off, and from what she remembered from her brother, she finished the sentence for him, "Arrogant?"

"So they say, yes."

"I think it comes with the Bancouhr bloodline," Eilwen chuckled. "We're all a little… too proud sometimes."

"At least you can admit it," Obi-Wan commended, earning another grin from the handmaiden. "I know many who cannot do that much."

"I suppose it makes the trait redeeming then," Eilwen said decidedly. She finished her drink, thanked him graciously for it, and asked to hear some of his adventures to help keep thoughts of their flight from her mind for the rest of the trip. He needn't entertain her for long, as they were only an hour away from their destination, but Eilwen enjoyed their time together regardless. He was a pleasant man, and she almost felt saddened when she was dragged away from another one of her fellow handmaidens as landing approached. They needed to be with their queen when they entered the planet.

Mercifully, Obi-Wan's special drink managed to sustain her during the landing, and she was able to look outside at the sunny day with a similar anticipation that she had felt less than a year ago when she was here. Still bustling as ever, Eilwen breathed the same thick air when she stepped off the Nubian royal vessel, her arms resting neatly at her side as she walked gracefully behind Sabé disguised as the queen. The real queen and Eilwen marched side by side, followed by one other handmaiden. The Jedi were the first to greet Senator Palpatine, who had been waiting on the platform in traditional Nubian robes of dark blue. He had not changed in the slightest bit from what she remembered of him. However, she had her own doubts that he would remember her from their brief encounter. Her eyes glided between the senator and Chancellor Valorum, who had proven to be one of Naboo's strongest supporters in the senate, according to the queen. They all prayed he would do what he could to ensure the blockade would end peacefully.

After greetings were exchanged, the queen and her group followed Palpatine to a small transport vessel that would no doubt take them to their lodgings. Anakin Skywalker and the Gungan were in tow, and the little boy seemed to wish to stick close to Padmé. It seemed their time on that wretched desert planet brought them closer together than she had previously thought.

Both the Chancellor and Palpatine waited politely for the queen and her handmaidens to enter the transport pod, and as she hoisted herself up, Eilwen made eye contact with the senator for the briefest of moments. Perhaps there was a smidgen of recognition, but neither paid it any mind. Less than a minute later, all attention was on Sabé, who communicated with their true queen through quick glances and hand signals, as she began her discussions with two of the political game's heavy hitters.

When they arrived at their suite, Eilwen was not one of the handmaidens picked to accompany the queen for her discussions with Palpatine. Instead, she and those left behind had the task of arranging her sleeping chambers, outfits, and other necessities. It was all very routine, and Eilwen would have given anything to be in listening to the meeting with Sabé and Palpatine. Or perhaps it was the real queen? Neither of them were present during the set-up of the room, and the other girls were also unsure of who would be having these discussions with their senator.

When the queen returned, they realized it was in fact Amidala who had met with Palpatine. She had plans to rest that evening, as she was going to meet with the entire senate tomorrow. The teenage monarch was weary when she returned, but determined that tomorrow would bring change for their cause. Neither she nor Sabé spoke of what was discussed in the meeting, despite Eilwen's very cautious prying, and eventually she gave up. However, her opportunity to gain some insight may have come later that night. After they had prepared the queen for bed, the handmaidens were permitted to get ready themselves. She was clad in a dark green nightgown, her unnatural brown hair loose and lengthy down her back. Although she did not have such a powerful position resting on her shoulders, she too felt Amidala's exhaustion, and longed for bed. However, when Sabé arrived in their shared dormitory, she had a feeling that would have to wait.

"The queen wishes to have a note delivered to Palpatine," Sabé informed her, dressed quite similar to Eilwen as she entered the room, "but I also need to go over my assignment with Panaka before he has his meeting with security-"

"I'll do it," Eilwen sighed with a somewhat tired smile. "Go to your meeting, favoured one."

The girl snorted, "Hardly favoured, Elwé."

Eilwen grinned in return, and tucked the handwritten letter into her deep pocket. Although she was not above breaking some rules, she was not about to read something so personal from the queen when their chambers were so close together. Instead, she pulled her hair up into a neat, presentable bun, and wrapped herself up in a black traveling robe. She hurried out of their sleeping dormitories, and thanked the guard who walked her to the elevator. The senator had an office two floors down; they were all briefed on where it was upon arrival. When she arrived, there were two guards stationed outside, and she quickly explained who she was, and why she was there. Once they cleared her through their ear pieces, they stepped aside and let her pass.

The senator's office was quite small, considering he was a senior member of the senate. He was seated at his desk, and immediately looked up when she came in. Therefore, she did not have the time she wished to examine the room in full detail. In most cases, an office or personal study could give you a lot of background information on the person it belonged to. She would have really liked to learn some inside information on the senator, a man she had obsessed over after he shot down her political aspirations.

He arched an eyebrow as a greeting, and she reached into her pocket and retrieved the note.

"Her highness wished for me to deliver this to you," she explained as she set the note down on his desk. He nodded and picked it up, his eyes skimming it quickly as she stood in front of him. She wasn't sure if she should leave, but a part of her wanted to stay and maybe gain some insight into the current situation. It wasn't like he was about to open up and spill everything to her, but he might let something slip, which she would take too.

"Thank you," he muttered, and then crumpled the note up before tossing it into a trash can beside his desk. "I will speak with your mistress tomorrow morning on the matter."

Eilwen bowed, a touch disappointed, and then turned away to leave. He cleared his throat, and told her to wait a moment.

"I know you…" he informed her, and she felt a sense of pride swell at the recognition. Perhaps she was memorable enough to leave a lasting impression. Suddenly, he laughed. He leaned back in his seat, still laughing, "You're the girl who insisted she would become a senator… The little Bancouhr girl who made such a fuss about becoming a handmaiden..."

Her insides knotted and she felt her jaw clench, "I am."

"Well," Palpatine sighed. "Look at how far you've come."

He was mocking her. Eilwen felt her eyes narrow, "I… I… My position has given me invaluable experience. So I would like to think I have come far, yes."

"You are still so diplomatic," he mused. "I suppose you would have been adequate in politics."

"My life isn't over because I am to serve under my queen," Eilwen argued tactfully. "I will serve under for her term, and I will do so faithfully… When that finishes, there is still a political path for me to take."

"Oh really?" Palpatine smirked, "Do tell how you intend to get to this 'political' destination…"

"I'm not sure yet," she said plainly, knowing full-well that the man was goading her on, "but I will figure it out in due time. You will see me here again, Senator, I promise you that."

"I look forward to that day then," Palpatine informed her. "Good evening, handmaiden."

"Senator," Eilwen said stiffly, and then gave him one more curt bow before departing.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<strong>

**I'm not sure if I gave enough detail on what's happening, but I felt like if you're reading this fiction, you know the Star Wars movies at the very least, and should know this takes place during the Naboo invasion in the prequel series. I hope nothing was too confusing, and I also hope that I am doing Palpatine justice. He's only appeared briefly, and will play a more prominent role in future chapters, along with other characters mentioned, but not focused on.**

**Thanks for taking the time to read, and for my one reviewer thus far, I sincerely appreciate it!**


	3. Political Hopeful

No one threw a party like the royal palace. Eilwen had never seen such glamorous, elegant, and exquisite decorations, outfits, and people as she did the day Naboo celebrated Amidala's re-election as queen. Over the course of the four years of Amidala's first term as elected queen of Naboo, they had attended many functions around the planet and on neighbouring planets that were hosted by noble families. They were all splendid, of course, but they could never compare to the work that went into making the royal palace in the planet's capital turn into a haven suited only for gods. Naturally, none of this would have been possible had they not become victorious over the Trade Federation during the queen's first few months of her reign. However, they had been successful. Amidala was as formidable and effective as a wartime leader as she was during peacetime, and Eilwen had the utmost respect for her, even more so than before, when the war ended. She had effectively saved thousands of people, united the Naboo and their Gungan neighbours for the first time in nearly a century, and ushered in a new chancellor in the senate with her vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. Therefore, it made perfect sense that she be brought back to rule for a second term by popular vote.

In her four years as queen, she performed wonderfully. Her cabinet enacted fair laws, served on peacekeeping missions to nearby planets, and worked hard with their new senator, Horace Vancil, to ensure that Naboo was always fairly represented in the galactic senate. Padmé was a gem, and Eilwen knew her planet was lucky to have her as their monarch. As much as she loved the woman, unfortunately, the handmaiden had her own goals in mind too. She had yet to give up on her dream of becoming a senator, despite the fact the most Naboo elite retire from politics on the planet on their twenty-first birthday. Eilwen was nineteen now, and it was a sad thought to think that most of her youth had been spent serving another, rather than serving the planet as a whole. Now, she was not completely stupid. She knew there was no way she would have been elected senator at such a young age with so little political experience, but at the back of her mind, she always wondered where she would be now if she could have immediately gotten a position in some cabinet or administration.

That was not to say she wasn't grateful for everything she had been given here. Eilwen trained hard to become a confident fighter, met influential people from all walks of Naboo society, and learned from those with more experience how to handle herself in various types of situations. Her fellow handmaidens, every single one of them, were her surrogate family, just as Amidala was like a sister. Most of the girls would give their lives for their queen. While Eilwen loved the woman, she personally felt like she had so much more to give to this world, and would fight to near death to defend her mistress, but she valued her own life too much to completely throw it away. Not that she would ever share this with the other girls; they had all sworn an oath of undying loyalty.

However, tonight that was far from her mind. For the most part, she forced it to be. Although she was immensely proud of her queen to win for a second time, Eilwen was disappointed to learn that she no longer had to option to stay or leave the royal palace when a new monarch came to power. Instead, she was forced to remain a handmaiden for another term, and by then, she feared she would be too old to do anything of importance because all of her competitors would be so experienced. So, after a private cry, Eilwen joined her queen during the day for public festivities and parades, and by night at the celebration gala in the capital building. Thankfully, Padmé understood just how hard the girls had worked during her campaign in the past few months, and as soon as they made an appearance in their uniform dress with the queen's arrival, the girls were dismissed for the evening to actually enjoy themselves. Sabé declined the opportunity respectfully, and Eilwen knew Amidala appreciated a constant support during a night of forced politeness. However, Eilwen relished the opportunity. There were people from all walks of the political and social spectrum here, and she wasn't about to waste it by sticking by her friends.

Well, she did need them when it came to getting ready. All the handmaidens rushed back to their shared dormitory in the palace and spent a good twenty minutes – relatively short, all things considered – picking out each other's outfits, swapping them around, and then another twenty minutes doing hair and make-up. In the end, Eilwen wound up in a form-fitting orange number that complimented her recently tanned skin and false brown hair. It scooped low down her back, though that remained tastefully covered by her lengthy hair, which was swept off her face with little beads and gems clipped into it. Despite their overall similarity, the girls looked remarkably different once they were all done up, and hastily returned to the gala for a night of being selfish. They all adored Amidala, but Eilwen knew the other girls wanted to be appreciated as individuals as much as she did from time to time, and to not be seen as an accessory to the queen.

Although she knew there were incredibly important people in the room – perhaps Chancellor Palpatine would come to support the queen, as the two were on notoriously good terms still – Eilwen knew there was someone else much more important she needed to see first. None of the girls really saw their family while they were working. Each was allowed two weeks of vacation a year and Eilwen usually took it during the summer. It was a little lonely visiting home with her brother firmly gone and her mother's place vacant. She had died during the Naboo invasion by the Trade Federation. From what her father had told her, they were herded into camps like animals, though most were only threatened with death. Her mother, while trying to help a few children find their parents, stepped out of her designated zone. A droid arrived to escort her back, but forcefully with its gun to her face. The weapon malfunctioned, so they say, and killed her with a clean shot to the head. Her father had stood by helplessly and watched her die because a piece of machinery had a faulty fuse. It was devastating to learn of her death, and even though the queen permitted her extra time off to mourn, Eilwen preferred to keep busy in the palace than dwell on her loss. It was selfish, and even at a young age she knew it, but she almost didn't care.

She and her father had kept in good contact over the years, and they always enjoyed their vacations together. He nearly stopped teaching after her mother died, but he returned to the university in her hometown a year later to resume his old position, and had been teaching there ever since. Eilwen fully expected him to be there that night; he was nobility, after all. Regardless of his background, her father had been a staunch supporter of the queen ever since the invasion some years earlier, and was very involved in her political campaign in the countryside towns. It would almost seem wrong that he was not present for the night. After greeting a few people she knew from their neighbouring planets, Eilwen found her father hovering around one of the buffet tables on the east side of the gala room. She smiled warmly when he looked up, and he set down his plate to embrace her.

"You look splendid, my darling," he whispered in her ear as they held one another. Her arms shook a little, her throat thick with what could be that urge to cry whenever a father held his daughter for the first time in a long time.

"Thank you," she replied, taking his arm when he offered it to her. "I've been looking for you… I was worried that you weren't coming."

"Wouldn't miss it," he insisted pleasantly. "I don't think anyone would voluntarily turn down a night of expensive food and excellent service in the royal palace, do you?"

"The novelty does fade, I have to admit," Eilwen remarked, which earned her a smirk from her father. "Though I am excited to experience it from your side tonight… I'm not Elwé, just Eilwen."

"And I am glad. I never liked the name."

"The queen doesn't use it in private," she explained. "One of the many things I like about her."

"How is her highness tonight?" her father inquired with a nod in Amidala's general direction. Eilwen glanced up, and spotted her mistress in her elegant white gown, surrounded by adamant supporters. She looked as though she was glowing.

"Thrilled… elated… I cannot think of any better words for describe her today," Eilwen said after the two watched her for a moment. "She had so many plans for Naboo, and I think she felt like one term was not enough time to get everything accomplished."

"I'm pleased I threw myself into her campaign then. I always had faith our people would choose wisely once again."

"The people of Naboo are not stupid," Eilwen agreed. "I knew they would bring her back."

"Speaking of which," he continued as he turned them away and they moved their discussion to the outer rim of the room. "How do you feel about serving her for another term?"

Eilwen paused, and then shrugged her shoulders, "I don't really have an opinion on the matter."

"But you do."

"Let me rephrase," she laughed weakly, "I don't _get_ an opinion on the matter. We can't just… leave. We've all been trained, we're trusted, and we love the queen dearly…"

Her father sighed, and she knew he could sense her answer was a cop-out to how she was actually feeling.

"You have always dreamed of something different than this-"

"Just because I'm here for another term doesn't mean my political aspirations need to be killed and buried," Eilwen said quickly, more to convince herself than anyone. "I'm sure there will be somewhere for me once I am finished."

The words were hollow in her ears. She had been telling that to herself ever since she made that argument to Palpatine all those years ago. It was as if the senate would wait until she was ready to join, but that could never be the case. That world always evolved. It changed with each passing day, and Eilwen was constantly in a state of fear that by the time she was ready, it would be too foreign for her to even consider making an impact on. However, she forced herself to remain as optimistic as possible, because she knew that she had something of value to offer to that world, and once they discovered that, they would all welcome her with open arms.

"Perhaps," her father remarked, as though contemplating her future for himself, "but in all seriousness, I think it would be wise to look into something else… to be safe."

"I… suppose."

"Perhaps something at the university," he mused. "I would love to have you home again."

"And I would love to be there, but you know my… scholarly education finished some time ago. I don't know what I would do."

"I am one of the top professors there, my child," he argued as he shot her a wink. "You wouldn't really need much … scholarly talent."

"Father," she laughed, giving him a little nudge, "that would be so terribly boring, and I'd be a joke. You know that would never work!"

"Maybe I will find you a man then," he joked, giving her a nudge of his own. "You could retire from the work field and raise a family. Your brother will not give me grandchildren, but we always had such high hopes for you."

Eilwen felt her cheeks tint a dull pink, the same hue they always did when she blushed, and she looked away. The thought of marriage, even now, seemed unreasonable. Many did marry in their early twenties, but she never envisioned herself to be one of them. For a woman, it was suicide to marry if she wished to become active in politics. No one really cared what she had to say if there was an able man who had the same name as her. Sure, she had heard of and read of many successful female politicians, but most were women who put off their relationships until they retired, if only to be taken seriously by their male counterparts, human and alien alike.

"One day, I suppose," she said finally, giving him a twinge of hope, "but not for some time, I think."

"A father can dream," he sighed when they paused at one of the windows that overlooked the waterfalls outside the palace. She glanced up at him, her eyes sweeping over his receding hairline and his deep blue eyes. The man had gotten thinner since she last saw him, which was always worrying for the young woman. Although it had been some time since her mother died, Eilwen still wondered if he would ever really get over it.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to interrupt such a serene moment…"

Eilwen flinched at the voice in her right ear as it penetrated their somewhat strained episode near the bay window. When she turned to match the voice to the face, she smiled politely and dipped her head, "Senator Vancil… It's no trouble at all!"

"Horace," her father greeted as he released himself from her grasp and shook the man's hand. "It's been far too long since we've had a chance to properly talk!"

"Kyrog, my friend," the senator beamed, heartily shaking her father's hand. "Indeed it has been… I am on the planet for the next week, and I would thoroughly enjoy a retreat to Moenia for a few days."

"Our manor is always open," her father offered with a genuine smile, one that Eilwen mimicked perfectly after years of careful practice. "What can I do for you tonight? A really lovely gala, is it not?"

"I expected nothing less from her majesty," Vancil admitted with a nod, "but I'm afraid I'm here to speak with your daughter, if you would permit me to steal her away?"

She caught her father's eye and arched her eyebrow only ever so slightly, indicating that she was fine with the intrusion, for now. There was nothing particularly wrong with Vancil, but he had a slightly rumoured reputation for getting a little handsy with young women. Nothing in a pervish way, as one might expect, but he seemed to lack some social boundaries that others found distasteful. However, in a room so full of people, Eilwen hardly had anything to fear, and was more than willing to have the ear of Naboo's senator without any other interruptions.

"Not for too long," her father said as he cupped her cheek and then departed with a quick smile to his friend. Eilwen grinned at the senator impishly, and accepted his arm when he held it out for her.

"I thought we might speak somewhere a little more private," Horace explained as he walked her toward the extremely large balcony exit. "Is that all right?"

"Of course… It is a little noisier inside."

"Yes, the party is really in full swing," he laughed as they left the building. She inhaled the fresh Naboo air deeply, letting it cleanse her lungs whenever possible. They had gone to so many foul planets on her majesty's peacekeeping missions that she sometimes forgot what clean air smelled like. When they came to a stop at the balcony's edge, he leaned on the thick white railing, completely relaxed, and gazed out over the capital city.

"I do love coming home to Naboo," Horace stated as he gave her a look out of the corner of his eye. "Coruscant is never quite the same."

"It most certainly is not," Eilwen agreed with a nod, her hands clasped behind her back as she too looked out over the city. It was alive tonight; everyone celebrated Amidala's re-election, "But I think Coruscant is pleasant in its own way… Full of vigour and industry... Not better, not worse, simply different."

"That's a very good way of putting it," he acknowledged. "Would you ever live in a place full of industry and vigour?"

"Industry is irrelevant to me," Eilwen answered, picking her words carefully, "but I would give anything to live in a place with the vitality and political hub that Coruscant possesses."

"So I have been told…"

She glanced up at him as he trailed off. The man was, just as Palpatine had been back in the day, the very image of the aristocrats of her planet. Traditional in his thick overcoat, dark green to suit a royal occasion, with slightly loose pants around the thighs, and tight by the calves. Elegant boots, as though he was to ride some sort of beast, a clean face, and a crisp haircut. A little overweight, to be sure, and Eilwen silently wondered whether or not he was married. Many politicians liked to keep their private lives private, or the press would have a field day. _Especially_ the press on Coruscant; their tabloids made it all the way to Naboo for all the read whenever the slightest hint of dirt was dug up on some poor, unsuspecting politician.

"You have been told?" she repeated after several more moments of staring out at the city, no longer really taking in the sights. The senator nodded.

"A friend of yours has told me your longstanding desire to become a politician," he said finally. "She told me you worry that you will be too far behind by the time you finish this second term as a handmaiden…"

"And which friend is this?" Eilwen asked stiffly. She certainly did not like the fact that she was being discussed by others behind her back, but there was also the possibility that the queen could get a whiff of her indecisiveness in her role, and have her removed permanently. Although she was not keen on waiting for another term to finish, she certainly did not want to be disposed of because one of the other girls couldn't keep their stupid mouths shut.

"Oh, it's not a bad thing," Horace said quickly, as if he could tell from her tone of her displeasure. "In fact, I would not have known of any political ambition if Sabé had not mentioned it in passing."

"She… What did she say, exactly?"

"Simply that you long to be involved somewhere that you can eventually do good in," he admitted softly, "and I think that's the right attitude if you want to enter my world."

"I am glad then," Eilwen muttered, her arms now folded across her chest. "I very much want to be involved in making our planet, and others for that matter, better at all levels. Sometimes… Sometimes I fear in my current position I am unable to do it fully."

"A feeling I understand well."

She felt a sudden shift in the way this conversation could go. If she could gain his sympathy now, perhaps he could keep her in mind when her term had finished. Perhaps, if there was a new senator by the time she was ready to join politics, he would even put in a good word for her! However, she discovered moments later that the good senator had something even better in mind for her.

"There is a very basic position open in my administration," he explained suddenly, "and I have already hired one new intern, but have been looking for another. The interview process has been… tedious, to say the least. Because I know you, what you have been doing for the past few years, and how loyal you are to your superiors, I feel like you deserve to be exempted from that tedious process… Had your friend not informed me of your love for politics, I may have simply left tonight empty-handed. But I know your work ethic, and I know you girls are trained. You wouldn't be here if you were a simpleton, and I appreciate that."

Eilwen stared at him blankly for a moment. Was he… Was he offering her a job? He too looked down at her, as though waiting for her to say something, and then laughed.

"Well, what do you think?" he demanded cheerfully. "I know it isn't exactly a … glamorous position, but I think it'll be an excellent start for you!"

"I… I don't even know what to say," Eilwen admitted weakly, a smile creeping onto her face. "I… I can't thank you enough! I would obviously accept right away, but … but I can't just… I need to consult with the queen first."

"Yes, that's perfectly understandable," Horace agreed as he touched her arm, "but I will need to know your answer within the next day or so… I leave within a week, and I would like for you to come with me."

She took hold of his hand with both of hers and gave it a very sure squeeze, "If I can get the queen's ear for only a moment, you will know by tonight!"

He looked as if he wanted to say something further, but she darted off back toward the gala hall before he could say anything. As if she would give him the opportunity to somehow retract the offer while a fit of second guessing himself took hold. No, Eilwen knew she needed Amidala's permission, and her permission alone, to leave her services. Yes, Panaka could technically remove any of the girls if he believed them to be ineffective, or a threat to her majesty, but the real power rested in the hands of the queen. As she moved through the crowd of the gala ball, a hand suddenly clasped hers, and she gasped in fright, startled to be broken from her very one-track train of thought currently. She looked back, her eyes wide, and she let out the breath she had been holding when she saw it was only Sabé.

"Well?" she whispered, stepping out of the way as a rather large older woman squished between the girls and another group, "I saw you speaking with Vancil… How did it go? Did he offer you the job?"

For a moment, Eilwen said nothing. She simply stared at the woman in front of her, a person she had known since she was fourteen and had always seen as competition. They all adored each other, but of course there were going to be rivalries. Sabé had always been seen as the favourite, and Eilwen wasn't the only girl who took her usually selfless actions as a message that she had the queen's heart over all others. However, as she looked into her eyes, she saw no negative emotion boring back. Simply curiosity, and a genuine interest in Eilwen's success. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and engulfed her friend – definite friend – in a rather tight hug.

"Thank you," Eilwen murmured shakily, smiling as her fellow handmaiden rubbed her back. "You don't know what this means to me."

"I do," Sabé insisted. "Otherwise I wouldn't have said anything."

Eilwen squeezed her tightly one last time, and then released her, "Where is the queen? I need to-"

"She's taking a quick break from all the attention in the throne room," her friend explained. "I think you'll have about ten minutes of peace before she needs to return to the limelight."

She thanked Sabé again quickly, and then darted through the throngs of people in the gala hall, navigating easily with quite large heels beneath her feet. They had all been taught grace, but Eilwen put that aside in favour of speed. There were small groups of people in the corridors to the throne room, no doubt hoping to catch the queen before she returned to the festivities, but only Eilwen had the authority to get into the throne room and through the armed guards without any troubles. Once inside, she paused at the doorway, her eyes on the queen. Amidala was seated in her throne, her eyes closed, and head resting back against the high arch of the chair. She seemed exhausted, but when her eyes opened at the sudden intrusion, Eilwen saw the same amount of vibrancy and life that characterized Padmé to her very core.

"I didn't mean to intrude on your few moments of peace, your highness," Eilwen said as she bowed low, "but I have something to discuss with you that has some… urgency behind it."

"Would this have anything to do with your discussions with Senator Vancil?" she inquired lightly, a faint hint of a smile on her face as she gazed at Eilwen serenely. The handmaiden cleared her throat, thrown off that the woman already knew what she had come to talk to her about.

"I… Well, yes-"

"Sabé discussed it with me a few days ago, when Vancil told us he was looking to expand his department on Coruscant," the queen explained, her smile growing. "I thought it was an excellent idea to suggest you."

Eilwen blinked stupidly in surprise, and then cleared her throat again, "You… You did?"

"I have known for a very long time you've always wanted to go into politics," Amidala admitted with a shrug, "and I have always been grateful for the loyalty and friendship you have given to me instead for these years. But I want you to be here because your whole heart is in it, and I've always known of your desire to be elsewhere."

She felt a sudden panic cling to her chest, and she darted across to the room to kneel in front of her queen and friend, "I want to be here. You are like my sister, and you know I would do anything for you!"

Amidala cupped her face gently, "Eilwen, I want you to succeed in everything you do. You too are my sister in this palace, and I love you dearly. I will miss your friendship more than anything, but I want you to be happy."

"I am happy…"

"I want you to be happier then!" Amidala laughed as she rose to her feet, helping Eilwen up as she went, "but I only ask that you stay with me for as long as possible… I know the senator returns to Coruscant at the end of the week, and I hope I can still call you my faithful handmaiden until then."

"Of course," Eilwen breathed, too giddy to find her voice fully, "anything you ask, your highness!"

"Good," Padmé grinned, linking her rather elaborately robed arm through Eilwen's bare on. "Then perhaps you could escort me back to the gala… I know they are all waiting out there to talk to me, but could you ask them to speak with me inside? I can't give private sessions to everyone."

"I will keep the hounds at bay," Eilwen laughed as they exited the throne room. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, and for the rest of the evening, it seemed impossible to stop smiling. It was finally going to happen.

Finally.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<strong>

**I realize I have been jumping around quite a bit these first few chapters with timelines and whatnot. I'm going with the assumption that I've given enough detail at the beginning for people to figure out sort of the rough era that this is taking place in. However, I'm going to stop with the drastic jumps in time for the next few chapters, and we will focus more now on Eilwen's first encounter with politics on Coruscant, which I'm excited for. **

**Much love to everyone who has taken the time to review, or favourite the story, or whatever else. I always really appreciate it!**


	4. Intern

Eilwen gritted her teeth as her transport ship rocked back and forth across the busy traffic lanes of Coruscant's senatorial district. Although they weren't moving very fast, they were exceptionally high up, and Eilwen felt slightly uncomfortable at the use of public transport after years of high-class living with the queen. However, this was where it all started, and she wasn't about to complain now. Well, she wasn't about to complain openly, anyway. Instead, she clenched her hands around the skirt of her dress and hoped that traffic would ease up; couldn't be late for her first day in the office. She sucked in her cheeks distastefully as the creature beside her, a fellow with three eyes and dreadfully yellow skin, shifted, almost coming into contact with her form. Even with a thick green shawl wrapped around her body, she felt a little more exposed than she was comfortable with. Perhaps it was the lack of Panaka and his usual security team around her, but for the first time in a long time, Eilwen felt quite small.

Just as Vancil had told her, he was only on Naboo for one week after his initial proposition was made. During that week, Eilwen was almost overly attentive to the queen, but by the end of it she was assured that her loyalty and service would never be forgotten. Padmé released her two days early with her utmost blessing, and Eilwen was escorted back to Moenia where she could pack up her essential belongings. She mostly took clothing with her, but her father equipped her with a telecommunications device so that they could communicate, countless books on the political system and history of the Republic, and several valuable photographs of her family. At first, she thought her luggage would be too much, but when she realized she might not return to Naboo for over a year, she decided it seemed almost too little. It was a surprisingly emotional farewell with her father, mostly because he was so immensely proud of her for finally following her dreams. While she might have been a little old at nineteen, she was about to start her political career at last. Palace security personnel escorted her back to the main transport hub in the capital, and shockingly enough, Sabé was there to see her off. The girl wished her nothing but good fortune and health, and made her promise to see them whenever they visited the capital.

Finally, she and Vancil departed on a fairly private cruiser to Coruscant. It was a relatively large transport ship, which meant the feel of flying was minimized for the most part. She and Vancil had a private cabin to themselves, but Vancil spent most of the trip there in the lounge with his team. That meant Eilwen had the room to herself, and she had all the time in the world – a grand total of about a day of traveling – to study up on the political system. The reading was a little thick, and she did skip some of the awfully boring bits, but for the most part she understood the gist of it. She hadn't studied anything worthwhile in years, and it was actually quite refreshing to try to build up her academia again. If she had any spare time from this new job, she was sure to freshen up her skills completely.

There was no glorious fanfare for them when they arrived, though Vancil had arranged for private transport to take her to her new apartment. He had graciously offered to pay for the first six months of her rent while she got herself established, and then half of her rent for the following six months. At that point, he assured her that her salary would start to fully cover her living expenses, so long as she saved properly. She would live on one of the lower floors of the towers reserved for political inhabitants of the planet's core. Most the senators were given illustrious apartments on the top with glorious views of the Senatorial District, but Eilwen found herself in a slightly too-small apartment on the third floor. There were only two windows; one in her bedroom, and the other in the living-kitchen-dining room at the main entrance. Otherwise, she had a bathroom and a spare closet for storage, and that was it. According to Vancil, this was fairly standard for employees at a certain level in the system, so she took what she could get.

Working for the queen had given her a small salary over the years, and her father contributed to her funds when she left quite graciously. So, if she wanted to, she probably could have started to pay for her apartment the moment she arrived. However, she kept her personal accounts to herself, offering instead to take up Vancil's decision to pay for her until she could "get on her feet". Therefore, with some spare pocket money, she ventured out into the shopping districts to purchase new furniture and work robes suited for her new position. It was so strange walking through a new place by herself, and for once, no one looked at her. With the queen, Eilwen was always on display, always seen and yet not seen. Now, if anyone wished to look at her, they would have to see her.

Shopping on her own was a new experience, but she had the weekend to get herself settled. Eilwen had learned all the basic skills for survival over the years, but doing something that was for herself and no one else was a little daunting. Cooking a meal for one seemed silly, and every meal thus far had earned her a good helping of leftovers. Her cooking was, of course, quite plain and boring, as she usually had a plethora of cooks waiting on her, but it was adequate nonetheless. When she wasn't shopping, organizing her new apartment, or trying to learn to cook something that didn't need a pound of salts, Eilwen was reading. She tried to absorb everything she could on the running of political entities on the planet, dating back to the time when it was run by a mayor. After that, she set up on telecommunication device, which also allowed her to explore further readings and articles on a much larger scale of web-linked information. It was such a huge world out there, and even though Eilwen had done her fair share of traveling, it felt insignificant compared to what else she could have seen.

The night before her first official day in the office, Eilwen received a friendly telecommunication message from the senator. He gave her directions to the nearby public transport station that would take her directly to the senate building. From there, she would enter through the Grand Doors of the building, but rather than proceeding into the depths of the building, she would go to the left and take an elevator up to the top floor of a nearby tower. The embassy for Naboo was located on the upper four floors of the tower, and it was there he would meet her to show her to her posting. Almost squealing with anticipation, Eilwen showered and went to bed early that night, only to find that she couldn't fall asleep for hours. When she did, it was as if she blinked and it was morning. Although she wasn't as rested as she wanted to be, Eilwen popped out of bed immediately and set about getting ready for the day. She was too nervous to eat, but managed to brew something hot and caffeinate to keep her going for a little while. Hopefully she would find something to eat whenever she had a break.

She opted to wear something neutral for her first day. If she messed up on something, she was sure that she wouldn't be remembered if she wasn't there in something outlandish. So, she opted for a dark brown dress, cinched and fitted around her torso in a flattering bodice. Her skirt flowed to the ground, favouring modesty over all else. She cuffed her sleeves with a pair of pale beige bracelets, and finished the look off with a smattering of make-up. As she gazed at herself in the mirror, she decided she was attractive, but most likely forgettable if people weren't paying close enough attention to her. For now, that was fine. She needed to learn all the ropes before she really threw herself into her work, and that might take some time. She wanted to be a shadow; listen, learn, but slip away if someone paid her too much attention.

On the transport shuttle that morning, it seemed to work that way for her. No one gaze her much more than a once over as she sat near a window, still perturbed with the alien presence at her side. Luckily, the ride there was blissfully short, and she scrambled off before anyone else had much of a chance to move. With her shawl wrapped tightly around her, and a small bag tucked under her arm, she moved along with the general hustle and bustle on the steps of the Senate Building. It was a grand, mushroom-shaped building, in which she knew the most important cases were argued. One day she would be in there, in her own hovercar making a statement to the entire delegation. However, one step at a time. She took a deep breath and carried on, minding her surroundings as she followed Vancil's careful instructions. Before she knew it, she was aboard the elevator alone, and punched in the button to the sixtieth floor. Seconds later she felt herself thrust upward, clutching the railing as the small pod rocketed up the tower with remarkable speed. It was at that point she decided she disliked that elevator ride almost as much as she hated flying, and that was certainly saying something. She felt a hint of sweat trailing down her back when it finally came to a stop, and despite feeling dizzy, Eilwen managed to push herself out and onto the floor.

True to his word, the good senator was waiting for her, a stack of folders tucked under his arm. Clad this time in a deep green senatorial outfit, he seemed younger, more relaxed. Clearly something like this was where he felt most relaxed, most in his element. Eilwen felt the same, and perhaps she had found a true kindred spirit. He smiled happily when they made eye contact, and ushered her down the hall.

"How are you settling in to everything?" he asked. Eilwen smiled in return, nodding her head a little.

"You know, it's not as small of an apartment as you made it out to be," she insisted. "I like it very much."

"Well, that's wonderful!" Vancil beamed as they entered through a pair of sliding glass doors, "Not all interns will say that when they first start. You've got tact."

"No tact necessary when I genuinely like it," Eilwen replied sweetly, but her attention was soon taken as she studied the main hall. It was alive with people in cubicles, the hum of machines, papers, and chatter. No one bothered to look up when they saw her, but several were familiar faces from press releases and other social gatherings; that had a calming effect on her rather quickly. He explained the different departments on her floor. They weren't directly related to senatorial duties, but she would cover the entire four floors as one of two resident interns. There were other low level employees that had similar jobs, but she and the other intern would be the only two to cover all departments equally, and spend more time working with Vancil and his team during busy times of the year.

The tower was circular and surrounded by what seemed like an endless window. It gave her a wonderful view of the city skyline, but naturally Eilwen was far too focused on what was happening inside.

"You'll share a cubicle with your partner, but I suspect most of your time you'll be running around between the four floors," Vancil explained as they maneuvered through the rows of tan cubicles to one near the window. She stood in front of it, the empty cubicle, and studied it eagerly. It was only a single desk with two chairs placed before it, though there were cabinets on either side, and one area was completely dominated with papers. It wasn't much, but as Eilwen pointedly reminded herself with each less-than exciting discovery, it was a start.

"I can't thank you enough, Senator," Eilwen said after a moment of studying her new workspace. "This is actually more than I expected, and I won't let you down."

"I never suspected you would," he told her happily, smoothing his hands over his slightly protruding gut. "Now, I'll let your partner explain your duties for today when he returns… I've got a brief meeting with the ambassador from Alderaan before lunch. I'll see you again… Sorry I couldn't explain more, but you'll be in good hands."

She wanted to ask exactly who her partner was, as _he_ seemed less than descriptive. However, moments later Vancil was off in a flurry of purple robes, and no one seemed to really stop their work to chat with him as Eilwen might have. So, she set her shawl down on the back of a chair, tucked her bag under it, and went about snooping through her partner's papers. Most were foreign documents, though when she landed on one written in Huttesse she could just get through a few paragraphs to know it was about impending trade agreements with another slightly illegal group. She noticed that everything had 'COPY' stamped across the top, and she wondered if any of these documents were originals. Much to her dismay, they were not. It was clear that her partner had been running copies rather than interacting directly with important documents, which was an ill omen for her future.

"Eilwen!"

She flinched away from the documents, mortified to be caught snooping through things, and hastily turned in the direction of the voice. Her eyes narrowed a little on the man in front of her, and she gasped in shock when she realized it was Olig. That little boy from her youth group had certainly grown up, sprouting almost a foot taller than her with a head of well-kept hair. He looked… even. Every part of his matched up perfectly on his frame, and the years had made his handsome. He was still younger than she, and Eilwen was acutely aware of that fact, but he was recognizably handsome at first glance.

"Olig!" she managed to get out at last, eyes widening when he threw his arms around her in a hug. "What a surprise!"

"I know," he grinned when he released her. "It's been years! How are you?"

"I'm… I'm good," she told him, a little at a loss for words. "How are you?"

"Good, good," he replied, scratching the back of his neck. "I think we need a proper catch-up… You've had what seems like an amazing life since you left the youth group."

"It has been an adventure," Eilwen remarked tactfully, "but surely you must have had one too if you've ended up here."

"There isn't really much to tell, actually," he said with a shrug. "Look, how about we do dinner tonight and you can fill me in on everything. We've got a big morning getting things ready."

"We do?" Eilwen asked excitedly, her eyes lighting up, "Like what?"

He beckoned for her to follow, and they navigated through the large office hall with ease, "I'll introduce you to everyone on our break."

"Right," she said absently, "but what's the plan for today?"

"Eager, are we?" he laughed, glancing over his shoulder as they departed from the hall completely. Much to her distaste, they were back in front of the elevator, and Olig pressed the button without a care in the world. Didn't he realize how fast those damn things traveled?

"Of course I'm eager," she told him, resisting the urge to glare at the elevator as the light above the door illuminated. "I've waited years for this day!"

"Ah, well…" he trailed off as they stepped inside. He pressed the button for the main floor, and Eilwen quickly gripped the railing as the contraption set into motion, "Try not to be too disappointed then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the senator is hosting a lunch meeting with the Chancellor and several other senators from our sister planets," he explained. This sounded promising. Her first day and she was already going to be dealing directly with the Chancellor! "So, we're in charge of food."

"I'm sorry?"

"You know… meats, cheeses, bread, toppings, platters," Olig explained carefully, his cheeks tinting a little when her eyes narrowed in disbelief. "I've already pre-ordered the food last night. We just have to go the cafeteria and pick it up, and then set it out in the conference room…"

She bit the insides of her cheeks rather hard to keep from saying the first thing that came to mind, and then took a calming breath, "Well, at least it's an easy job for my first day."

"Yeah," he agreed, looking relieved that she hadn't become too visibly upset, "and we get to stay in there just in case they need anything else, so we get to listen to things. So… There's a silver lining."

Yes, that would be adequate. All the right people would get a look at her face, some might even pay attention if she was dutiful enough. After all, if there was one thing Eilwen knew how to do, it was cater to someone above her station. So, with her head held high, she followed Olig out of the elevator, her stomach in a whirl, and decided she was going to make the best of the day.

The contraption came to an abrupt halt on the basement floor, and Eilwen stepped out first, studying the area carefully. It seemed they had come directly into a cafeteria of sorts. There were beings of all shapes and sizes milling about, and as they navigated their way through, Olig explained that this was the central eatery for the Senate Building. Naturally, the Chancellor and more important officials had their food delivered to them, but she and the others would spend most of their lunch breaks here.

"I mean, you don't have to, or anything," Olig continued as Eilwen made a face at the various fast-food-esque counters and alien attendants. "Sometimes it's nice to go to an actual restaurant out on the strip and away from this building… It can get a bit dark and dismal down here, especially when money's tight."

She could imagine herself eating some gourmet sandwich on the steps of the building, not hunched over a plate of strangely coloured substances. No, this wasn't about to become her life. She might be on the lower rung of the political society, but she wasn't going to lose her upbringing. If things were really bad down here, she could always make her own food and eat in her cubicle: at least there they were next to a window.

Olig led her to one of the smaller counters near the back, and much to her surprise, he lifted the thing up and stepped behind it as if he owned the place. She followed suit, sticking close to him as the pair of four-armed attendants waved at her.

"We usually cater from here," he explained. "They all know me by now, and I can just come into the kitchen to pick up our orders when they're ready. Hello, Hiefah!"

An alien similar to the ones in the front beamed at him from over a very large stove, "Olig, my friend! Right on time!"

"As always," he grinned, stepping aside to present Eilwen. "This is Eilwen… She's a new intern with me, so if she wanders back here to grab orders, don't mind her."

"Not at all," the creature admonished, dipping his head a little to her, his too-wide mouth in a grin. "I always welcome business from your embassy! There, there, your orders are all packaged up."

A large mountain of little white boxes awaited her, and the pair divided them up between the two. Naturally, she stuck Olig with a few more, but she wasn't about to stumble through the cafeteria and lose her footing because there were too many boxes in her arms. The young man took it in stride, and thanked this Heifah person graciously as they left.

"I'll be back later for my own lunch," he laughed as he bid farewell to the attendants out front. Eilwen frowned at the thought, and then glanced back at him.

"Isn't this our lunch too?"

"Well," he grunted, adjusting his grip on his load, "I guess we can eat whatever isn't, but normally they all clean up by the end of the meeting. It isn't really a safe bet to hope we'll get something from this lot of food."

It seemed as though it was disappointment after disappointment today. They hurried back to the elevator, careful not to drop anything despite being knocked about a few times by others in their own hurry. She pushed the elevator button with her elbow, and then looked at him.

"Do you like this job?" she asked frankly, "Do we actually do anything worthwhile?"

He swallowed thickly and looked down at his boxes, "We… We make the offices function. We're a really important part of the team, even if we just do nonsense things like this."

"And you like that?"

"I'll take what I can get," he said after a moment of silence, glancing up as the light above the door signaled the elevator's arrival. "I mean, people are killing each other back home just to get here… I'm grateful for whatever I can do, even if it's just delivering lunch."

That was the attitude she was supposed to take. However, as they awkwardly maneuvered into the elevator, boxes knocking and bodies touching, she realized she was a little more frustrated than she intended to be, and it hadn't even been an hour yet. It was then that she realized her life had been pretty fantastic as the queen's handmaiden, even if she wasn't the favourite. This adjustment was going to take _a lot_ of getting used to.

"Besides," Olig said suddenly, peering up and over his boxes at her, "we're the ones they all see doing the hard work. In a few months, I bet they'll be bringing in new interns, and we'll move into different departments. Everything changes each term in this place… Don't be too put out."

"Do I look put out?"

"A little."

"Well, I'll have to change that, won't I?" she mused, forcing a broad grin onto her lips, "Better?"

"Much," he laughed. She cringed as the elevator whizzed up to the sixty-first floor, especially since she had nothing to properly hold onto. It seemed the rides felt shorter each time, thankfully, and it seemed like seconds later they were tumbling out in an array of boxes. Olig explained that there weren't many rooms on this floor of the embassy, but rather several very grand conference rooms that a lot of the business aspects were handled in. Many of the rooms were full at the moment, but the largest, surrounded by glass, was vacant. It seemed no one had a desire for any sort of privacy in this building.

"What time are they getting here?" Eilwen asked once they finally set their boxes down on the table in the centre of the room, her arms a little sore from box corners stabbing into her.

"The Chancellor usually arrives first with his team, and they establish some security," Olig explained. "One moment, just going to grab another table from the other room… Why don't you set up the platters?"

He hadn't directly answered her question, but she set about doing the platters anyway, putting out the three from the larger boxes at appropriate ends of the table. When he returned dragging a smaller table, she helped him set up a drink bar.

"Why does the Chancellor arrive first?" she asked as she set out some plates. Olig continued to pour jugs of clear liquid and arranged them neatly on the table.

"Security does a quick sweep of the room," he explained. "There's been trouble in Coruscant for the past year now… People have been attacked, important people, and you can never be too careful. Palpatine and Vancil are obviously on good terms, but you can never be too careful."

"You said that already," she commented absently. He paused in his arrangements, and Eilwen noticed his cheeks tint.

"Yeah… Well, it's true."

"I guess," she sighed. She decided there was only a few ways one could decoratively arrange cutlery, and she stopped. "What else can I do?"

"Here, I'll show you how to make Palpatine's drink," Olig offered, becoming her over to a kettle. "He usually likes to have a tea with these meetings… The man does so much talking normally, so he needs something for his throat."

"And what about Vancil?" she asked as Olig began adding a dollop of honey to a pristine white mug.

"We don't really worry about him until the Chancellor is taken care of," he replied. "I mean, he's the important one here. We deal with the top dog and then move down depending on the audience."

"Makes sense, I suppose," she murmured. "So just honey, hot water and lemon?"

"You've got it. Not my taste, but he always has it."

There was a sudden commotion outside, and Eilwen looked through the glass walls at a squad of security officials barreling down toward them. Olig ushered her out, a hand on the small of her back, and graciously stepped aside for the men to investigate the room. They searched under the tables and chairs, but there wasn't much else in a room made of windows, and within moments they had finished. They filed out, but two remained on either side of the door, and she assumed they would be there for the duration of the meeting.

The arrival of the Chancellor certainly wasn't much of a grand affair. He strolled in with two advisors and a few other assistants, all of whom would be partaking in the luncheon also. From what Eilwen could gather, he hadn't changed much since she last saw him. Naturally, there were some signs of aging, and his hair was shorter, but overall Chancellor Palpatine continued to remain a constant in his appearance. Clad in a deep blue robe, he had a book in his hands, and seemed focused on what the man beside him was babbling on about. When the group approached, Olig bowed a little, and Eilwen mimicked it quickly.

"Morning," Palpatine greeted, his tone pleasant enough for dealing with interns. "How early am I this time?"

"Not by much," Olig replied, his face relaxed, but Eilwen spotted the tension in his shoulders. "Senator Vancil is almost finished in his meeting with Senator Antilles, and the rest should be trickling in soon."

"Excellent," the Chancellor beamed, glancing into the conference room over Olig's shoulder. "Lunch looks quite appetizing today."

"Hiefah always puts his best hand forward when he knows he's making it for you," Olig rambled. Palpatine's eyes drifted toward her, and she smiled a little as a small wave of recognition passed across his face. Olig was quick to make the introductions, "Oh, this is Eilwen Bancouhr. She's going to be interning with me here at the embassy."

"Well," Palpatine chuckled, his head cocked to the side slightly, "I see someone has finally made it to Coruscant. Congratulations, Miss Bancouhr."

"Thank you, Chancellor," Eilwen grinned, dipping her head a little. The conversation seemed to have ended, and the Chancellor's party filtered inside, flocking about the drink table while he settled into a seat at the head of the central one. Eilwen moved quickly, grabbing the warm drink she and Olig had concocted only minutes earlier. She navigated around the other members of Palpatine's cabinet with ease, having eyes only for the man with the most power in the room, and then set his drink down in front of him carefully.

There was a brief, panicky moment where she envisioned herself tripping and spilling the liquid all over him, but she managed to keep that at bay by holding her composure.

"If there's anything else you should need, please don't hesitate to ask," she told him, flashing a brilliant smile as she did.

"Thank you," he said in return. "I'll keep that in mind."

The corners of his lips quirked upward as he spoke, and Eilwen felt a swell of confidence rise from within. She joined Olig near the drinks table as the rest of the staff found a seat around Palpatine. She could feel Olig's eyes on her as she helped fill a few more cups to meet the impending senators, and she finally looked up at him, arching an eyebrow.

"Flirting?"

"Being polite," she countered, "and useful."

He gave a breathy laugh, but their attention was drawn to helping the arriving senators with their cloaks and offering them drinks. Whatever Olig might think of her tactics, they seemed to have worked. Throughout the two hour meeting, which was dreadfully boring aside from a few bits about upcoming senatorial elections on Naboo and two of her surrounding planets, Eilwen was the one Palpatine called on to refill his drink each time. She smiled a little more with each successive drink, and by the end she was sure that he was looking at her whenever the conversation drifted away from something he found interesting.

When the meeting had finished and the senators departed, Vancil remained with Palpatine to thank him for attending. Apparently, everything had gone swimmingly, and Vancil beamed as he escorted the Chancellor to the elevator. When Olig and Eilwen were alone in glass conference room once more, she felt him staring at her.

"What?" she snapped, forgetting her decorum for a moment or two while cleaning.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Be that female intern who makes eyes for the Chancellor," Olig explained. "It just looks bad on you."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Eilwen sneered, her nose in the air. "I made a contact today. I suspect should I have dealings with the Chancellor again in the near future, he'll be more than happy to have my assistance. That's what we want, isn't it? To be noticed and recognized for our hard work?"

He made a bit of a face and then shook his head, carrying on in silence.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<strong>

**Hello all! So, this wasn't one of the stories voted for in my November polls to be updated. However, I went to see **_**The Phantom Menace**_** re-released last night and it got my muse fired up. Therefore, I thought I could go a quick chapter for fun! Hope you enjoyed Eilwen's first brief introduction into politics. And yeay for Olig. He wasn't initially going to be a character that would stick around, but I've found some use for him!**


	5. Favourite Grunt

Three months had never felt so exhausting before. Yes, there had been times in the past that Eilwen was shattered. The invasion of her home planet left her broken when she was in her early teens, and it took the strength of her queen to keep her world from crumbling further. When she learned that her mother had died, Eilwen's inner spirit floundered as she struggled to maintain composure at the loss. Each day was difficult to get through when she drowned in grief. Now, she may not have been in agony or grief as she threw herself into her duties as an intern for Senator Vancil, but it felt just as difficult to drag herself out of bed every morning before the sun was up. The hours were long, the pay was miniscule, and she did some of most seemingly irrelevant, pointless duties for just about every person in office. Some days she wanted to scream. Somehow Olig had been doing it for six months longer than her, and Eilwen couldn't grasp how he survived as long as he did.

Vancil wasn't terrible. No, he was much as she had remembered from his time in the queen's court, even if he didn't quite remember Eilwen. He worked hard, drank heavily at social functions, and always seemed to make someone's wife uncomfortable without meaning to. Naturally, the senator had people to do damage control, including a very shrewd public relations representative that kept him out of the tabloids, but sometimes Olig and Eilwen, the resident interns, had to step in and steer the good senator in another direction. However, despite all of his flawed social graces, it was fairly clear the senator had a good heart. He was far less xenophobic than the previous senator, which meant he passed more laws that would affect the alien species on her home planet. From what she heard, he was a man who knew how and, more importantly, when to speak in the senate, which earned Naboo allies in all the 'right' corporations and whatnot.

The members of his cabinet were another story. Most, like Eilwen, were looking for their ticket to the top, and very few seemed pleased with their current station within the administration. There was always an air of competition on all four floors of the consulate. Some days, that tension was thrilling. Eilwen loved being in the heart of the action because she was never seen as a direct threat to someone's power, but she got to know everyone's nuances from a respectable distance. The people were willing to do whatever it took to get to the head of their departments. She watched people backstab their deskmates and blatantly lie about the amount of work they had done on a deposition. It seemed that no one was punished for their shrewd behaviour, and were instead rewarded with promotions and backslaps by Vancil whenever he heard of a recent success in the office.

There were no backslaps for Olig and Eilwen. No, for the three months now, they had fetched coffee and tea, made copies of important documents – but were never allowed to read them – and organized thousands of lunches for Vancil and his political comrades. It always seemed like there was something to do from the moment they arrived until the very last hour they were permitted to work overtime. Neither particularly liked working later than absolutely necessary, but out of the pair, Eilwen certainly clocked more overtime. Anything she could do to be of assistance, she did, but after the first month she realized people thought she was a pushover. Things started to pile up on her desk from departments that weren't necessarily meant to make use of her services, and she eventually filed a complaint with her superior – a grisly older woman a step below Vancil named Jesma – that people were misusing the interns for personal gains. She wasn't exactly sure what Jesma had done, but after that, she was hassled far less to do tasks that were deemed _too_ pointless, even for an intern.

Olig was tolerable. In fact, the young man had grown on her very quickly, and she soon saw why he was suitable for the world of politics. Although he may not have been the sharpest fellow in the office, he was wonderful with people. He always knew how to make polite conversation, and he seemed genuinely interested in everything that anyone had to say about anything. Eilwen was a good actress, but she had difficulty feigning real interest when people made it so horrendously difficult to do so. Olig, on the other hand, managed to be charming in a somewhat goofy, uncoordinated way, and it earned him favour from many of their superiors. If Eilwen hadn't been a girl who could smile her way out of her issues, she may have faced more disdain for the odd comment that escaped her brain regarding some foolishness before her.

Naturally, Eilwen knew how to behave in front of people – she wasn't a complete idiot. Some of the interns from other ministries were absolutely hopeless, and although she may have just been a grunt in the grand scheme of things, she prided herself in her ability to make positive connections with just about everyone. Sure, a positive connection may have been that a department head may prefer her to fetch him his drink in the mornings over Olig, but every victory mattered.

Every favour she was given happened because of her hard work and dedication to her useless craft of being an intern. It was a little depressing to feel so small, but little moments throughout the day made it all worth it – a smile from an important head, a nod, a wink, and sometimes an expressed wish to have her work in _their_ department when her trial period at the consulate was finished. To some they may have been insignificant and insincere, but Eilwen planned to hold every person to their word when the time came down to it. Unlike some of the women wandering around the Naboo consulate, Eilwen planned to ascend the ranks for her wit, charm, and intelligence, and not because she had a few physical attributes that the male superiors liked. She didn't see it often, but there were a few other female underlings from different floors that put on too much make-up, or wore a dress that might have only been appropriate if worn at night… drunk. She saw the looks the older members, both male and female, of the floors gave _those_ kinds of women, and she knew they weren't looks of appreciation.

No, Eilwen kept herself respectable. After all, she still had her family name to uphold, and she wasn't about to sully all of her father's hard work by tramping through the four floors of the Naboo consulate. Not that she had proof that slightly scandalous young ladies from other floors were sleeping with their superiors, but her and Olig made guesses about who might be sleeping with whom whenever they were especially bored, and those trollops from the upper floors were somehow always up for consideration. Mind you, Olig usually just went along with whatever she said, which could make a boring situation even duller, but it was better than having a confrontational partner. He may have been a little bit of a doormat sometimes, but Eilwen would always take that over some of the airheaded jerks from other floors any day.

There was one man that Eilwen may have flirted shamelessly with anytime they were around one another, which wasn't all that often, but frequently enough for Olig to comment. Eilwen didn't care in the slightest what her partner thought; Chancellor Palpatine was fair game to flirt with. The man was untouchable by just about everyone, and on her first day Eilwen had found a little crack to worm her way into. Now, whenever he had dealings with Vancil, he always asked that Eilwen and Olig handle the meeting's preparations, and the pair were there during it to cater to his every need. Whenever they had anything that needed to be run over to the Chancellor's offices, Eilwen was first to volunteer, practically knocking anyone else out of the way to be the one to deliver it. She didn't particularly care whether she spoke directly to Palpatine when it happened, so long as he saw her face, and his staff saw her face, Eilwen was satisfied.

The people who questioned her desire to cater to the older Chancellor were absolutely mad; who wouldn't want such a powerful figure in their corner? It could only benefit her career to be one of the Chancellor's favourites, and she was sure to remind him weekly that she was present, perky, and always willing to help. She wanted to be a senator. Senators could come and go with each election, but it seemed that chancellors were a much more permanent feature in the senate. If she wanted to be a senator within the next five to ten years, she needed to not only be friendly with the bigwigs in all of the departments, but she would need support from the very top branch. From the stories she heard, Palpatine was fair enough, but showed preference to the senators he got along with personally whenever they were outside of the senate's arena. There were galas, dinners, and trips to the opera, and from what she knew, no senators from Malastare were ever invited for a luncheon with the Chancellor unless absolutely necessary.

Her political life was almost all-consuming. For the first month, she woke up, went to work, came home to her little apartment long after the sun had set, and then crashed. Her diet was atrocious, and her weight fluctuated noticeably as she tried to get a handle on cooking for herself at home and picking at the horrible food in the cafeteria at work. Sometimes she ate, sometimes she didn't. The thrill of being in Coruscant took over for the first few weeks, and then she simply didn't have time unless she dragged herself off her couch and scrounged around in her cupboards for something of nutritional value. Now, three months into her stint, she still wasn't exactly great with her eating habits, but she was better than before. The major difference now was that she had something of a social life.

She had watched Olig interact with interns from other ministries, both humanoid and not, with such ease that it was frustrating. Eilwen, at first, thought it was only prudent to make friends within the Naboo consulate – that was where her career lay, after all. However, she saw the way interns worked together, despite being from different places, and realized it might be very crucial to her survival of she were to have contacts with other friendly consulates. Some of them knew where to get the fastest mailing services, or where to buy the best lunches; everyone had certain tricks of their unfortunate trade, and if Eilwen smiled and tried her hardest to be friends, even with the less than human beings, she found she earned a whole slew of new tactics to use on her superiors.

Although she never thought she would think it, but Eilwen was pleased that her relationship with Olig and the other interns from various consulates wasn't strictly business. In fact, she found herself blossoming into quite the social butterfly on her weekends. She had one day off during the week, which meant one night could be for reckless abandonment if she got out early enough. As a handmaiden, the girls were allowed to drink, but not to the point of excess as they were always on duty.

In her second month on Coruscant, Olig invited her to come out for a pub night with some of the other interns. She was hesitant, mostly because work was exhausting, and she couldn't picture doing anything other than collapsing at the end of the day. However, going against her better judgement, she went, and it was absolutely brilliant. They ventured down to the entertainment district of the Core, and after they met up with the other young interns, they traveled as one large group from place to place, introducing Eilwen to all the hot spots that young adults frequented when the sun set.

She was lucky that she had the day off after her venture down to the popular bars of Coruscant. If she had had to work the next morning, she might have lost her job – she was absolutely destroyed. Eilwen decided she shouldn't ever mix as much alcohol in one night. When she eventually became functional in the later afternoon, she couldn't even remember what all she had consumed, but she knew she didn't want to do it again. Her bar nights, which were always the nights that she had a day off after, were a little tamer than that first venture, but it was a great way to get rid of the stress that came from the week. She had made a few – two or three – decent friends aside from Olig that always came out with her, so there was always a fresh batch of new drama to hear about over drinks.

It was so strange to have a life outside of the politics. It was a very small part of her world, but it was a piece that she would have never thought would exist. It was also remarkable that the piece she thought would be the smallest was the only one that was really getting anywhere. Eilwen had a small inner circle for the first time that did not consist of other girls who looked like her and a queen. She always had plans offered to her come her time off, and she had every right to accept or reject a proposal from any one of her friends.

However, when it came to her work life, she didn't exactly have that freedom. She really had to search for interesting – and different – tasks to do during the day if she wanted to get away from redundancy, and she could never tell someone 'no' if they wanted her to do a drink-run suddenly. Work was terrible. She loved being around the people, but the job itself? Absolutely awful.

Today was one of those exhausting days. Eilwen and Olig were in the middle of preparing for a new round of hiring for all of the departments, in which there was a consistent employee turnover as people shifted in and out of their jobs into something a little different. Vancil claimed that it kept everyone fresh as all eyes would eventually see to the same task. Apparently, he ordered this turnover once a year. No one necessarily lost their jobs per say, but some were demoted while others were promoted as they switched about, and the offices were chaos.

Even though she had no idea who was going where, people had been harassing all day about their new placements and wouldn't take her ignorance as an answer. She had been running back and forth between the human resources department on the third floor and the main office on the first floor of the consulate whenever files were missing – which was shockingly frequent. Olig spent the day in their cubicle making copies of every personnel file as Eilwen juggled various other tasks, including their usual duties, darting between departments to deliver mail, drinks, and then ensuring the upheaval of the office went without a hitch.

It was probably one of the stupidest things she had ever heard of – who changes everyone's positions each year? The senator and his staff remained a constant, but everyone from accounting to human resources to public relations were switched around. Apparently, it was only under Vancil that this atrocious policy had been in play, and many were hoping that come time for a new senator he wouldn't be returning for another term. It was a selfish hope, because despite his eccentricities at the office, Vancil was doing something good for Naboo, particularly the Gungans and other non-human species. It wasn't something that Eilwen cared about, but it made him a popular man back home.

Eilwen had been up far too early that morning for the time she went to bed the night before, and the only thing keeping her functioning into the evening was a plethora of energy drinks from the cafeteria. As the day began to wind down and the rest of the floors bid farewell to their current position, Eilwen and Olig had divided up the remainder of their work so that they could get out a decent time. Unfortunately, Eilwen had to fetch dinner for Vancil right in the middle, which took almost an hour with the rush down at the cafeteria. No one cared that she was getting it for a senator – so were ten other lowly interns in line.

Therefore, the ridiculous hold-up in the cafeteria meant Olig finished before her, and she had to watch him pack up as a small pile of papers glared at her from her desk, begging to be photocopied.

"Look, are you sure you don't want to come out?" Olig asked as he slung his bag over his shoulder, "I think everyone wants to go down to Prewett's for some drinks, and then-"

"I told you I can't," Eilwen said sharply, shoving more paper into the copier as it beeped angrily at her. "The Jedi Temple keeps its visiting hours open later one day a week, and it's the only time I can go."

He sighed and leaned back against his desk, arms folded. She glanced at him over the side of her shoulder, but continued to work, her frustration with the ridiculousness of this day making her shorter with him than usual.

"You don't even know if your brother will _be_ there," he reasoned. "I mean, aren't they always off… peacekeeping for the galaxy?"

"I don't know what they do," she snapped, glaring at the copier when it did nothing after she punched in the code to copy. "But I want to at least find out if there's some way I can see where he is… Maybe he's been here the entire time I've been here!"

"Well, neither of you would know the difference-"

"That's not the point," she sneered. "I just want to get there before they shut out the public while I've got the time. You know it's just going to be busier around here."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't come out after," he chuckled. "I was thinking I could pick you up at your place and we'd meet everyone there…"

"Olig," she said firmly, smacking the copier several times. It finally kicked in, angrily spitting out both sheets of paper for her, "I'm tired. After I finish, I just want to go to bed."

"You sure?"

"_Yes_," she insisted, glaring at him a little. "Go! Get out while you can! I'm sure Jesma is lurking around here somewhere… She'll have more for you to do."

"All right, all right, point taken," he mumbled, giving her arm a nudge as he pushed himself off the desk. "If you change your mind, you know how to reach me."

"Yup, have a good night," she said absently, glaring at the copies – they weren't even printed right. Everything was on a slant… Had she put them in wrong? She sighed irritably and then reloaded the old machine to give it another try. With a hand on her hip, she cracked her neck noisily and glanced around her floor. The circular room was nearly empty, aside from a few random desk lamps indicating the other keeners staying afterhours.

This wasn't something new. Eilwen thought people would take notice of her when she stayed later than she needed to, but after a few weeks of doing so, she realized everyone important usually stayed in their offices and those that didn't matter didn't pay attention to her anyway. So, although it seemed like a good idea to be the first and last one seen in the office, she eventually grew tired of her work not being rewarded in the slightest, and recently had only been staying late unless it was absolutely necessary.

Tonight was, unfortunately, necessary, but she was only forced to stay until six. She knew the Jedi Temple offered tours through the very basic levels of the building to give people a glimpse into their world, and it only happened twice a week. The earlier day was one where Eilwen worked until seven or eight, and the tours ended around four. The later day, today, found the temple open to visitors until nine, which meant if she left now, she would have just over an hour to get there and find someone who could help her find her brother. It might have been a bit of a rush, but as she hammered away at photocopies that finally looked right, she had a feeling she might actually be able to make it.

Even if she couldn't get in touch with someone tonight, she really just needed to get the name of someone who could help her at another point when she wasn't working.

Sighing, she gathered up all the photocopies she had sped through in a good ten minutes or so. Once they were in their proper order, she commenced stapling and rearranging, until it was half past the hour, and she had finally finished. She rubbed her eyes, trying valiantly not to smudge the little bit of make-up she had been wearing, and then rummaged around under her desk to find her coat. With the day finished here finally, she would have about forty minutes to get to the Temple to start her search.

However, as she started to walk away from her shared cubicle, she noticed a folder jutting out from beneath Olig's piles of paper. She had stopped snooping through his things fairly early on when she realized he had nothing worth looking at, but she recognized the red lining around the white envelope. Normally, Vancil used special paper and envelopes whenever he needed something sent to Palpatine, and as she pulled the thick package out from the bottom of the pile, she realized this was supposed to have been taken over earlier in the day. Olig must have forgotten.

She shook her head. He meant well, but there were times when he could get a little scatterbrained when the work was too hectic. With her hands on her hips, she stared at the package on the desk, sucking in her cheeks in thought. She really ought to leave it there. When Vancil arrived tomorrow to ask if there has been a reply, Olig would have to admit his mistake, and he would surely be punished somehow. However, now that she had seen it and certainly had the time to deliver it, she knew she would feel guilty later tonight if she just left it.

Eilwen glanced at her silver wristwatch, and then groaned. She had thirty-five minutes to run this over to the Executive Building and then grab some public transport to the Temple. She stuffed the package under her arm and hurried out of the office, dashing for the elevator in a flurry of dress robes and lengthy brown hair. She still disliked the elevator rides immensely, but found that if she shut her eyes and thought of something else, the experience was more tolerable. Once she stumbled out of the death trap onto the main floor, she hurried through the still busy corridors to the transport dock on the east wing of the building, hoping that there might still be a shuttle over to the Executive Building.

It wasn't far, and Eilwen could have made it in a ten minute walk, but the Executive Building was quite large, and Palpatine's offices were at the very top. It was a large, domed shape that dominated much of the Legislative District, and Eilwen had gone several times a week at one point when she was running important documents that could not be trusted to droids between Vancil and Palpatine. Most of the Chancellor's staff knew both of the interns from Naboo, but Eilwen always tried to leave more of a lasting impression than Olig. Hopefully she would be able to use that impression to arrive unannounced to drop off Olig's mistake.

As luck would have it, there was only one shuttle going to the Executive Building, but it was delivering a group of senators.

"Only for the senators," the driver insisted, nodded to the group of beings entering the craft as he waited by the front.

"But I work for Senator Vancil," Eilwen insisted, "and I must deliver this package to the Chancellor before he leaves… Please, it's very important."

"Sorry, you know the rules," the man remarked gruffly, fidgeting with his official transport uniform. "I can't take just anyone when I'm driving a group of senators."

She stared at him for a moment, her gaze hardening. Shaking her head, she reached down into the deep pocket of her dark green dress and produced the money she had brought to buy her lunch today. It was more than enough to get something delicious now for dinner, but when she saw the man's eyebrow quirk a little, she realized she was going to have to give it all up. He held out his hand, and she shook it, leaving several bills behind.

"Glad to see men are still decent," she crooned, stepping around him with a smile. Once they were no longer face to face, her smile dropped and she scrambled on the small transport cruiser, finding an empty seat alone near the back. All eyes were on her as she moved through the centre aisle, but no one seemed to acknowledge her existence. It must have been fairly clear that she was not a senator. Instead of drawing attention to herself, she pressed herself up against the window, trying to appear small in the unwelcoming environment, and stared out at the dark transport deck, studying the lights of different ships as they whizzed in and out.

Moments later, the small cruiser started up, and she gripped the thick package tightly as they peeled out of the transport deck. Flying was still a chore, but if she kept her mind elsewhere, cruising at low altitudes around Coruscant's core was quite manageable. Plus, the drive to the Executive Building from her offices was mercifully short, and within five minutes she was hurrying off to beat the rush of senators. They were all headed in a different direction than her anyway – they to the offices of their colleagues, and she to the highest level to Palpatine.

At this time of the evening, Palpatine was generally off eating or in a meeting, which meant she wasn't going to meet up with him, but at least the mistake of 'the intern' would hopefully go unnoticed. As long as Vancil's package was delivered today, no one would really know the difference tomorrow.

She moved through the corridors of the building quickly, almost out of breath by the time she reached the elevator. She had to go through several security clearances in order to be permitted to take the private elevator that led to the upper two floors, both of which belonged to Palpatine and his support staff, but the identification tags she had been given when she first started served her well in situations with intimidating security officials. After going through checks when she got on the elevator, and then again when she was off the elevator, and then two more the closer she got to Palpatine's main office, she felt as if the drill lost some of its scariness.

As she rounded the final corner leading to Palpatine's office, the fear returned when she nearly ran into Mas Amedda. The Vice Chancellor always frightened her a little, mostly because of his size. From what she had seen, read, and heard, the large, horned, blue alien was good at his job, and, like Vancil, appeared to be quite fair in the political realm.

He seemed equally shocked to see her, but he didn't let out an embarrassing little squeak like Eilwen had.

"Sorry," she remarked sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?"

He was always known for being straight to the point. She squared her shoulders, trying to appear more important than she knew she was, and then cleared her throat, "Delivering a package from Senator Vancil. I've just got to drop it off with the Chancellor…"

Well. That certainly didn't sound very important. His eyes narrowed at her, and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"The Chancellor is very busy," he remarked. The creature extended his pudgy hand to her, thick, long nails on the tips of his fingers making her want to gag a little, "Why don't I take that from you and give it to him later?"

"With all due respect, I have been charged with the delivery," Eilwen argued politely. "I'm sure you're just as busy, Vice Chancellor. I shouldn't like to hold you up longer than necessary! I promise the Chancellor won't even notice I'm here."

He gave her a hard look, making her shift awkwardly, but finally seemed to concede, "In and out, do you understand?"

"Of course," Eilwen told him gravely. "Silent as the dead, I promise."

"Good on you," he muttered, giving her a bit of a dismissive nod before he continued on down the hall, disappearing around a corner and leaving her in silence. Hugging the package to her chest, Eilwen scurried down the hall, her small heels clacking away, and finally came to the large set of double doors that led to Palpatine's office. Normally, there were two security officials standing watch, and she would have had to do another clearance when she wasn't with someone more superior in Vancil's office. However, their absence signalled Palpatine's too, and she sighed in relief: Olig's folly would go unnoticed.

Standing on the tips of her toes, she punched in the lengthy eight digit code at the computerized security clearance, and then spoke her name clearly into the speaker. A few beeps followed, and Eilwen smiled a little as the thick metal doors slid open to grant her access.

The office was extravagant, with dark red walls and complimentary carpets, but Eilwen knew it well at this point. If she wasn't with Vancil, she had gone in here several times with Jesma to add to the Naboo party for meetings and the like. There were several seating areas for less formal meetings on either side of the room, and a large window that spanned from floor to ceiling behind the Chancellor's extravagant desk directly in front of her. The room appeared darkened, and she hurried across it, going up a few steps to the raised platform that held the wide desk.

Once there, she set the package down and arranged it neatly off to the side along with several other files. It appeared as though Palpatine had a lot of reading to get through, and he surely wouldn't notice if there was one extra little bit added for him whenever he returned.

There. It was done. She knew she was supposed to leave, but she couldn't help but linger in front of his desk. There was such a beautiful vision of the city's skyline before her, and it wasn't something she saw this clearly before. Sure, her cubicle offered a lovely view of the Legislative District, but this really showed all of the Core's large buildings. He had a wonderful view, and it must have been easy to become lost in it.

"Is there something else you needed?"

Eilwen jumped noticeably, her heart racing as Palpatine's voice penetrated her serene moment in front of his desk. She whirled back to spot him lounging on a sofa near the far end of the room, papers scattered around him. She must have missed him in the shadows, or simply expected him to be gone with the lack of security.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, stepping away from his desk quickly with her hands folded behind her back. "I just wanted to drop something off before I went home, and I got distracted with the view."

"It does that," he remarked, closing his folder and setting it aside. "Horace said the boy was supposed to deliver my package."

She licked her lips, his unwavering gaze on her, and she forced a nervous smile, "Olig has been so busy today… I thought I'd do him a favour and run it over here. Are you distressed to find me instead?"

Eilwen quirked an eyebrow, hoping to break the tension that arose from Palpatine's sudden appearance by being a little flirty. As usual, he grinned, and she knew that she was safe as he eased himself off the couch and sauntered forward.

"I'm never distressed to see you, Miss Bancouhr," he informed her. "I am surprised to see you here this late."

"Oh, right," she said quickly, glancing down at her watch. She had about ten minutes if she wanted to make it to the Temple before they closed. "I'm actually on my way to the Jedi Temple… This was my last good deed for the day."

He stopped shortly in front of her, staring down his nose, "The Jedi Temple? Whatever could drag you there?"

"I'm actually looking for my brother," she explained, calm on the outside, inwardly bubbling that the Chancellor had taken more than just a polite interest in her at the moment. "He's been training with them since I was young… I want to see if he's… somewhere close."

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" he mused, giving her a small smile, "Though I think you may find your brother would be quite different than the person you remember."

"Oh, I believe that," she told him, "but I think he'd find the same with me."

He studied her for a moment, almost to a point where she was at a loss for something to say, until he gestured toward the door, "Why don't I walk you to the elevator?"

She blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Really," Palpatine said with a nod. "I feel like I need to stretch my legs, anyway."

It took a great deal of effort to keep an enormous smile off her face, but she managed to maintain her dignity as they walked out of his office.

"How are you liking your position thus far?" he inquired as they strolled through the corridor, their pace slow and yet too quick for her liking. She wanted to savour this moment. How many other interns were entertained personally by the Chancellor?

"If I'm being perfectly honest," Eilwen started carefully, "I think it's a good position that all should have… We need to learn how this system works somehow. But it's… It's very trying sometimes."

He chuckled, "So very diplomatic still, Eilwen! I have heard good things from Vancil and his staff… I think you've made a positive impression thus far."

"I've tried," Eilwen insisted, glowing under the recognition. "I just want to do a good job."

"You'll find there are those with desires far less pure than that," he muttered. "Many do not come here to do the job they have… They become lazy and whine that they are never promoted. But…" He smiled down at her, no doubt aware that she was hanging onto every word, "As a girl from a noble house, one similar to my own background, I can predict good things from you."

"I'd like to think," Eilwen said in return, disappointed as the elevator doors emerged in the distance. No one had stopped them, but she was sure the security personnel were still lurking nearby.

"I sense a senator somewhere in there," Palpatine told her, patting her shoulder. "It's a hunger I knew well once. Have you seen the senate yet?"

"I… No," she told him, her cheeks tinting a little. "We aren't allowed in unless Vancil takes us, and he hasn't taken us yet."

There was a slight pause as Palpatine pressed the elevator button, and then looked down at her, "Would you like to see it?"

"Would I like to see it?" Eilwen repeated, frowning a little, "See what?"

"The senate," he laughed as the elevator light lit up, announcing its arrival. "I needed to go over to prepare for tomorrow… It seems a shame that someone who wants to be a senator so bad has yet to even see where she might one day be working."

Eilwen stared at him for a moment, baffled that she was being offered something so precious by one of the most powerful men in the entire senate – a private tour after hours. She nodded quickly, fumbling over her words as they stepped in the elevator. As she gripped the handrails, mostly out of habit, she hardly even felt the machine plummet as she grinned at Palpatine.

"I would love to see it," she managed finally. "I've wanted to see the real thing ever since I was in the Youth Group… It must be so big in real life."

"It is quite an impressive piece of architecture," Palpatine chuckled, and instantly Eilwen felt like she was gushing just a little bit too much. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure; she was making it out to be a much grander affair than it ought to be. After all, Palpatine probably saw the senate every single day and barely paid any attention to its size anymore.

They departed from the elevator only two floors down, and Eilwen once again had to contain her excitement when she discovered they were taking the Chancellor's personal shuttle across to the Senate Dome. From there, they would enter through a private entrance and thus avoid any of the senators working that evening.

The hovercraft was covered, thankfully, but Eilwen still felt a little anxious as they pushed away from the Executive Building. The flight was mercifully short, but just long enough for the Chancellor to notice the no doubt obvious change in colour on her cheeks.

"Don't you like to fly?" he inquired as he surveyed her. Her hands gripped the edge of the seat tightly, but she tried to smile it off.

"It's always made me a little nervous, but I'm sure I'll get used to it."

"If you want to stay in Coruscant, yes," he remarked, nodding toward the approaching domed-shaped building. "It's one of the strongest, most structurally sound buildings on the entire planet."

"It's very impressive," she added. "I've worked in it for months now, and I can't believe how little of it I've actually seen."

"That's always the way," he mused, "but everyone's time comes, and soon you'll know the building too well."

She smiled, and then braced herself as the small cruiser pulled into a loading dock she had never seen before. They were still fairly high up, and yet they pulled into this small dock that appeared out of nowhere before them. There were security officials waiting as they exited the craft, but the Chancellor only barely acknowledged one as he continued to tell her some of the history behind the actual senate chamber itself. She listened, completely enraptured by the man before her, until she finally realized they had made it down to the very place she had desired to be in ever since she arrived. They stopped in front of a set of curved doors, and Palpatine turned back to her, his security in tow, and then arched an eyebrow.

"Are you ready?"

"Oh, yes!" Eilwen nearly squealed, nodding her head vigorously. Her response seemed to please, rather than annoy, Palpatine, and moments later both doors slid open to reveal a wide open space with little pods as far as the eye could see. Eilwen was permitted to enter first, and she hurried down a small set of steps and realized she was standing in a senatorial pod. There were a pair of seats and a microphone within the smooth, grey pod, and there had to be thousands more just like it in the giant cylindrical room. She spotted a stand in the centre, and it was obvious that was where Palpatine and his advisors stood.

She heard something click behind her, and she glanced back to see the Chancellor had joined her in the pod. Moments later, it drifted out into the arena, and Eilwen hastily grabbed hold of a nearby chair to keep her balance.

"You'll have to get used to it," Palpatine insisted, "because senators could be in here for hours and hours debating issues… In order to be heard, you have to get away from the pack."

He gestured out to the hundreds of other pods, and Eilwen stared up, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. There had to be hundreds of planets and system represented in the senate, and she desired to be someone of importance in it. How was she going to stand out from all of them?

"And over there is the pod usually used by Vancil and the delegates from Naboo," Palpatine continued, pointing across the hall. She craned her neck to see, but amongst the sea of other pods, it hardly stood out. Instead, she felt the Chancellor's hand touch her back, and he guided her over to stand directly in front of him. She moved stiffly, glancing only slightly to the side to gauge his expression. He smiled serenely at her, and then pointed again.

"Delegates from Naboo have always held that spot," he explained quietly. "Just think… If you work hard enough, one day you could be addressing representatives from across the galaxy from it."

"Thank you for bringing me here," she said softly after a moment. "I do really appreciate it."

"Not a problem," he mused, giving her back a pat as he stepped away. "Of all the little interns that come into my office with their superiors, you are my favourite."

She grinned, "Really?"

"I see a lot of myself in you," Palpatine told her as he leaned back against the pod. "We're both from noble families on Naboo, political from our youth, and obsessive about politics. When I find someone like that, I like to nurture them."

"Well, I'll take anything you can give me," she remarked, a little more playful now that they had some distance between them.

"I'll have to speak with Horace when it comes time to promote you and the boy into other departments," he mused, smirking a little. "Now, come along… I'll find someone to take you to the Jedi Temple."

She had completely forgotten! She glanced down at her wristwatch and sighed, "Oh, I've missed their visiting hours… I'll just go next week."

"Well, why don't I give you a little more of a tour then?" he suggested, "Or do you have somewhere better to be?"

"No, nowhere better," she replied happily, her eyes lighting up at the thought of continuing her personal tour of the Senate Dome with the Chancellor. "Take me anywhere you like…"

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES:<strong>

**So, this chapter is probably one of the longest updates I've done for any of my stories in a while. My muse has been completely Star Wars focused lately, and I just had to update. I know I've got a very small readership for this series, but that makes me happy – glad to see there are some Palpatine fans out there who are sort of on the same wavelength as I am with it! I always appreciate your reviews, and this story makes me endlessly happy to plan… I've had lots of thinking about the future plot while writing this chapter over the span of about two weeks, and I'm excited! **


End file.
